LEWISTON, N.Y. — A 20-year-old from Lewiston will now have to register as a level 3, violent sex offender. That's the highest level a sex offender can get.
Christopher Belter was a teenager when he was accused of sexually assaulting four teenage girls at his family's home in Lewiston. That was in 2017 and 2018.
He pleaded guilty to charges of rape and attempted sex abuse, amid other charges. He was sentenced to eight years probation.
Recently, Belter violated it by installing software allowing him to watch porn on his computer.
Judge Matt Murphy got a lot of backlash for giving Belter no jail time and instead eight years probation.
2 On Your Side caught up with a woman in the courtroom who didn't provide her name. She says this violent, sex offender status is only a little bit of justice and says it was also nice to see some community members provide support to survivors of sex abuse outside the courtroom.
"It also makes me a little sad to see it, that everyone is feeling this pain. There's other victims feeling what I'm feeling and it's disappointing," the woman said.
"The jail time is never going to be justified. That is still an issue. The judge made the right decision today but he didn't right his wrongs."
Belter's attorneys objected to the level 3 status and still have time to appeal. They tried to argue he should only be at level 1, citing how Belter is in therapy.
Prosecutors argued that wasn't a good enough reason to lower the status.
As a level 3 violent offender, Belter will have adhere to a list of rules. Among those, he must verify his address with local law enforcement every 90 days and update his photo annually.
Failure to do so could result in a felony. If he fails to do so more than once, the court can revoke his probation.