SAN ANTONIO (AP) - An Air Force sergeant has been charged with raping three women, including a Lackland Air Force Base basic trainee, as long ago as 1992.
Master Sgt. Michael Silva serves in a base support unit at what is now called Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. He faces life imprisonment if convicted at court-martial of the charges. An evidentiary hearing is scheduled for Monday at Lackland.
More than 30 instructors at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland have been charged with sexual misconduct against trainees. Most of those tried so far have been convicted. However, the San Antonio Express-News (https://bit.ly/1jitAdd) reports none of those cases date earlier than 2008.
Silva’s is the first case to be prosecuted in the military since Congress lifted a five-year statute of limitations on military sexual assault cases last year.
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Information from: San Antonio Express-News, https://www.mysanantonio.com
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