Air Force instructor gets 4 years for raping trainee

Female airmen march during graduation at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio June 22, 2012, in this image made from video. / AP Photo/John L. Mone

SAN ANTONIO A military judge has sentenced an Air Force instructor to four years in prison for raping a female trainee at the South Texas base where he worked.

Lt. Col. Matthew Van Dalen also sentenced Staff Sgt. Eddy Soto to a dishonorable discharge after convicting him of rape Saturday during a military trial at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.

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More than 30 Lackland instructors have been investigated in the military sex scandal. Soto was the ninth trainer convicted in the scandal and sentenced to prison or hard labor. A total of 62 female trainees came forward alleging they were sexually assaulted or harassed by their training instructors.

Van Dalen acquitted Soto on charges of aggravated sexual assault and wrongful sexual contact.

Soto previously pleaded guilty to five counts, including having had sex with a female trainee and with the wife of a male trainee.

The scandal at Lackland began to unfold nearly two years ago, when the first victim came forward. The base has about 500 military training instructors for about 35,000 airmen who graduate every year. While one in five recruits are women, most instructors are men.

The Air Force recently announced that there were a total of 796 reports of cases ranging from inappropriate touching to rape in 2012, a nearly 30 percent increase from 2011.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh called the numbers "appalling" and estimated the number could be even greater because many cases aren't reported at all.

[Faramir0028g]

4 years ?? I mean W_T_F??? Sad this POS raped someone under his command and only gets 4 years? He will be out in 2. He should do 10 with no parole.

[BludApfel]

If there were no women in uniform then there would be no victims.

See the problem?

[busterthedawgy]

Sure, blame the victims. What an apologist. Got your priorities a little skewed?

[cpgrant3]

No, there would be more male rape instead. Are you volunteering for duty?

[bobw101]

These are the men and women we are sending abroad to represent America...Now you know why 90% of the world hates Americans.

[ralphing]

How did he manage to have sex with a trainees wife? Spouses aren't allowed any contact to trainees.

[bi-theway]

repugnant: these trainers must practice impeccable conduct as related to "inappropriate" sexual contact. the morale required for our good soldiers, airmen and sailors requires trust from seniors in command.
castration, dishonorable discharge and time in prison.

[Aussie_convict]

Wow 4 years for rape, Glad to see the military is setting such a standard

[Aussie_convict]

"high" standard