Alvaro Pablo Velarde, Rape and Aggravated Sexual Abuse, Colorado 2023

Former Air Force Cadet Alvaro Pablo Velarde, 20, of Lima, Peru, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison for two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual contact for raping a fellow cadet at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

According to court documents and facts presented by prosecutors at trial, Velarde raped a female cadet in her dorm room at the Air Force Academy on October 23, 2018. During the attack, he ignored multiple pleas from the victim to stop. Afterward, the victim experienced severe pain and sought medical attention. A sexual assault examination revealed physical injuries sustained during the rape, and a doctor at the Air Force Academy later diagnosed her with a concussion.

Velarde was disenrolled from the Air Force Academy before the trial. The victim still attends the Air Force Academy.

In a statement, U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn said, 'Our service members deserve every protection our country can provide.' 'In this instance, one of our own was violently raped by a cadet who was a guest from a foreign country. This violent assault has done tremendous damage – both to the victim, as well as to the Air Force Academy itself.'

The case was investigated by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter McNeilly and Emily Treaster handled the matter.

The case number is 18-cr-00525. For more information, visit the U.S. Attorney's Office website at http://www.justice.gov/usao/co or follow them on Twitter at @DCoNews.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-co/pr/former-air-force-academy-cadet-sentenced-federal-prison-raping-fellow-cadet