UPDATE (11:02 a.m.):

A former Air Force Academy cadet has been sentenced to five years in prison for raping a fellow cadet a year and a half ago.

The sentence was announced Tuesday in front of full courtroom, including the victim and the defendant, Alvaro Pablo Velarde, 20. Velarde was already in custody prior to the sentencing.

"Our service members deserve every protection our country can provide,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn in a statement released Wednesday. “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. I am proud that our prosecutors ensured this criminal was brought to justice. I am also proud of the victim, who bravely stepped forward and made sure her story was told. We owe her a debt of gratitude for what she has done for justice, as well as for the service she will provide in defense of our nation.”

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PREVIOUS (5/2/19):

A 20-year-old former cadet was found guilty on Thursday of "violently" raping a fellow cadet.

The Department of Justice is reporting 20-year-old Alvaro Pablo Velarde was found guilty of two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual content.

Velarde is from Peru and was a student at the Air Force Academy at the time of the crime.

His sentencing is scheduled for July 30. Velarde was first charged by Criminal Complaint on Oct. 25, 2018. He was then indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on Nov. 8, 2018. The jury trial started on Monday.

The Department of Justice, citing court documents, is reporting Velarde "violently" raped a female cadet in her dorm room. He reportedly ignored multiple pleas to stop the sex assault. A sexual assault examination revealed physical injuries sustained during the sexual assault, and a doctor at the Air Force Academy later diagnosed her with a concussion sustained during the assault.

Before the trial Velarde was disenrolled from the Air Force Academy.

“The conduct in this case is reprehensible not only because of the nature of the crime itself, but because of where it occurred,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. “Our service academies are national treasures. We send our best and brightest young adults there to become soldiers and to serve our country. It is the last place one should be attacked so violently. We are pleased that justice was done. The victim showed tremendous courage throughout this ordeal and I am proud that she will someday be defending our country as an Air Force officer.”

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