LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WKBW) — Christopher Belter, the Lewiston man who avoided jail time for rape, has been assigned level 3 violent sex offender status.
Belter pleaded guilty to rape and sex abuse in 2019 and was sentenced to eight years probation in November. As part of his sentencing he was also required to register as a sex offender. He returned to court Thursday for a Sex Offender Registration Act hearing and Niagara County Judge Matthew Murphy assigned him level 3 violent sex offender status.
According to the New York State Division of Criminal Services there are three risk levels.
- Level 1 (low risk of repeat offense), or
- Level 2 (moderate risk of repeat offense), or
- Level 3 (high risk of repeat offense and a threat to public safety exists)
The court also determines whether a sex offender should be designated a sexual predator, a sexually violent offender or a predicate sex offender.
The risk level and designation govern the duration of registration as an offender.
Belter, assigned level three violent sex offender status, will be registered for life.
"Today I am glad that the judge made the right decision to give him a level 3 offender, but this in no way justifies him getting no jail time," said one of Belter's sexual assault survivors, who asks we refer to her as MM. "And that is still an issue the judge made the right decision today but he didn’t right his wrongs."
| Risk Level | Designation Received? (Sexual Predator, Sexually Violent Offender of Predicate Sex Offender) | Duration of Registration |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | NO DESIGNATION | 20 YEARS |
| 2 | NO DESIGNATION | LIFE |
| 3 | NO DESIGNATION | LIFE |
| 1 | YES, DESIGNATION RECEIVED | LIFE |
| 2 | YES, DESIGNATION RECEIVED | LIFE |
| 3 | YES, DESIGNATION RECEIVED | LIFE |
You can find more information from the New York State Division of Criminal Services here.
Before Belter's sentencing in November he addressed the court and said the following:
“Through treatment and reflection, I’ve come to feel deep shame and regret for my actions none of you deserved to be in this situation. I hope each of you could close that wound I gashed. I know though, that a scar will remain that will serve as a reminder of the evil of that night."
Judge Murphy said during sentencing he decided prison time would be "inappropriate":
“I agonized — I’m not ashamed to say that I actually prayed over what is the appropriate sentence in this case. Because there was great pain. There was great harm — There were multiple crimes committed in the case. It seems to me that a sentence that involves incarceration or partial incarceration isn’t appropriate, so I am going to sentence you to probation."
Murphy issued a lengthy list of probation rules for Belter, who now lives in the City of Lockport, and had a stern warning about following the rules.
A 20 year-old sexual assault survivor told 7 Eyewitness News a few days after the sentencing that she sat in the Niagara County Courtroom and lost her composure when she heard Judge Matthew Murphy say Belter would avoid time behind bars, “I was disgusted that was even an option.”
The survivor continued on to say she had to immediately run to the bathroom to throw up.
“The judge had the opportunity to put out the fire but he chose to let it keep burning,” she said. “I didn’t expect to be as emotional as I was, but I just broke down.”
The survivor, who has asked us to call her MM was one of four survivors that Belter pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting during a period of a year and a half from 2017-2018. She said she believes Belter, who grew up in a well-off family, his parents both attorneys, once again avoided consequences.
"I am deeply, deeply disappointed. I expected a different outcome today. Justice was not done today," Steve Cohen, an attorney for one of the survivors, said following the sentencing.
MM spoke with 7 Eyewitness News Thursday and said she is happy with judge's decision to assign Belter level 3 violent sex offender status, but the pain of the Belter not receiving jail time looms.
John Bellocchio from SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) has filed a complaint with the New York Commission on Judicial Conduct against Judge Murphy. Bellocchio says he was outraged with Murphy’s Niagara County Court decision on Belter.
In 2018, when Belter was 17, he was charged with first degree rape, third degree rape and sexual abuse involving multiple 15- and 16-year-old girls at his Lewiston home.
In 2019, Belter pleaded guilty to two counts of second degree sex abuse, third degree attempted abuse and third degree rape. He received a sentence of two years interim probation. If he successfully completed probation he would be granted Youthful Offender status.
In October, nearly two months from the start of sentencing, Judge Murphy ruled that Belter would be sentenced as an adult and denied Youthful Offender status.
