AF sergeant found not guilty in rape case

An Air Force court martial Friday night found a tech sergeant not guilty on a charge of raping a basic trainee.

Lackland AFB Tech Sgt. Marc Gayden faced life in prison had he been convicted of the rape charge.

But testimony at his court martial conflicted over whether the woman who made the claim could have been alone in her quarters when she claims the attack occurred.

Other Air Force personnel testified to the court martial that Gayden was a respected leader in Lackland's basic trainee program.

When the testimony had finished the court martial decided Gayden was not guilty of the rape charge.

The court also found Gayden not guilty of other charges against him including forcible sodomy.

Numerous other sergeants in the basic training program have been found guilty in the sex scandal that has rocked the Air Force, and prompted numerous changes in operations.