ALFRED, MAINE – A former Massachusetts state trooper was sentenced Thursday for sexually assaulting a woman from Portsmouth.
Joseph Silva received a 10-year sentence on a gross assault charge and received seven years each for the two aggravated assault charges and 10 years probation.
Silva made a brief apology in court, and his sister spoke on his behalf. The victim wrote a letter and did not appear in court.
The state asked for a 25-year sentence for Silva.
Silva, who lived in Newburyport, Mass., arranged to have dinner with the woman.
Later, Silva lured the woman to the Roadway Inn, in Kittery, telling her they could watch a Patriots football game.
Prosecutors said Silva raped and assaulted the woman, who managed to get away the next morning.
Silva was arrested in 2009 and indicted earlier this year.
It only took the jury about an hour to reach its verdict during last month’s trial
