​Baltimore cop avoids prison after being convicted of rape -- judge rules victim suffered 'no psychological injury'

A Baltimore police officer who was convicted of raping one woman and assaulting another was sentenced to home detention by a judge who ruled there was "no psychological injury" on one of the cases, NBC News reports.

Baltimore County Circuit Judge Keith Truffer took a 15-year prison term for former officer Anthony Westerman and suspended all but four years, telling him to serve out his sentence at home. Speaking to NBC News, Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger said the sentence was "not appropriate" for a police officer, who "should know as well or better than others the reprehensibility of such an act."

"I fear this could cause rape victims to hesitate to report their crimes if they do not feel like they will get justice," he said.

READ MORE: Rapist from 'rich and influential family' avoids prison after pleading guilty to assaulting four teenage girls

Westerman was convicted back in August and pleaded guilty to second-degree rape, second-degree assault, and other crimes after being arrested in 2019. In one case which occurred in 2017, Westerman offered to arrange an Uber ride for a woman who said she drank too much. She says that she later woke up to him raping her after she passed out. He was also convicted of forcibly kissing a woman. He was acquitted on another rape charge.

As NBC News points out, prosecutors wanted Westerman serve five to 10 years in prison, but the judge gave him a lighter sentence and removed a count of second-degree rape and found that the victim had not suffered psychological injury.