The number of reported sex assaults is on the rise at the Air Force Academy, up from 20 in the 2009-2010 school year to 33 in 2010-2011.

The academy says it's not necessarily because more cadets are committing sex crimes; it could be because more cadets are reporting such incidents than in the past.

In 2003, a sex assault scandal rocked the school, with a Defense Department survey finding that nearly one in five female cadets reported being victim of a sex crime during their time at the academy. The women interviewed said they were either too intimidated to report the assaults, or were mistreated if they did.

In the years since, the AFA has been striving to get more cadets to step forward if the victim of any unwanted sexual contact.

Earlier this month, the AFA announced that three cadets face sex-crime charges in separate incidents over a 15 month period. They will face an Article 32 hearing either at the end of January or beginning of February. The hearing is the military equivalent of a grand jury proceeding. The academy's Superintendent Lt. General Mike Gould will decide if the cases will go to trial.