DENVER -- Because of a 7NEWS investigation into sexual assault cases involving the Air Force Academy, the academy is now the focus of national attention.

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On Thursday night, the secretary of the Air Force was at the academy for some straight talk with the 4,000-member cadet wing. He had them spellbound with his direct, firm, unambiguous demeanor and straightforward message, 7NEWS reported.

Dr. James Roche said male cadets must change the culture of the academy. He told the assembled cadets at the 10th annual National Character and Leadership Symposium that the Air Force does not tolerate criminals and he intends to weed out and prosecute those who commit sexual assault.

"Expect major changes and expect them across the board," Roche said. "One of the things we will do is to take a serious look to make sure that there are no barriers to the courage we're asking the person who comes forward. I hope in time, madam, that most of the people who come forward will be other male cadets who will say, 'We don't want this bum with us because here's what this bum is trying to do.' And then, this Air Force Academy will throw that bum out if it's true. The burden should not be on our women cadets."

Roche said adamantly, "I will not tolerate a single unreported criminal act on the part of our cadets ... It is reprehensible for a rapist or someone who could sexually assault a woman, or who protects these bums that do, to become a leader of our airmen, and it is counter to our concepts of trust, integrity and responsibility to stand idly by while others engage in such behavior.

"We don't want you to sully the uniform of our fellow airmen ... We don't want you as part of our Air Force, and we sure as hell don't want someone with this value system flying jets with his finger on the trigger of 24, 2,000-pound bombs," he said.

The room of cadets gave Roche a standing ovation when he finished.

The number of women who have reported to Sen. Wayne Allard's office and say that they were reprimanded or ignored after reporting their rapes has now jumped to 20, and that does not include a number of other women who over the course of years sought help from a civilian rape-crisis center in Colorado Springs.

An Air Force task force has been asked to investigate, but at least four U.S. senators have called for a separate, independent investigation.

Investigators will leave the academy Friday afternoon are expected to send a full report to Roche in a couple of weeks.

A special hot line for rape victims at the academy has received 25 calls since Monday, said Lt. Col. Dewey Ford, a spokesman for the academy.

Roche said the defense department plans to look at other military academies to determine if there are similar problems.

7NEWS is now working with colleagues at ABC's "20/20" to bring you seven women who have come together to reflect on what happened to them.

Louise said fellow cadets harassed her after she reported her attack. She eventually left the academy.

"He ended up pulling me into a bedroom and shutting me in there, and that's when it happened," Louise said.

"I was able to get this person to leave my room. And then I just cried all night," Lindsey said.

Lindsey said when she asked the academy for help after her sexual assault, investigators told her the attack was all in her head.

"I tried to fight him off for about two hours, but I was just crawling around the room to get away from him," said Lynn.

Lynn was ill in bed when an upperclassmen assaulted her in her dorm room. She said academy officials did nothing.

And these former cadets say they know more victims who remain in the academy.

"At least 25 approached me personally after I started talking kind of publicly within the wing about my experience," Ruth said.

"I probably knew about 15 for sure that had been sexually assaulted," Louise said.

"I can think of around 27 women now at the academy," said Liz.

All say things need to change before the next class of cadets enters the academy.

John Ferrugia: How many women here have a sister? Would you want your sister to go into the class of 2003?
Liz: At this current state, I wouldn't tell anybody to go there. I do believe it's a good place, but girls are not safe. They are not protected.
Lindsey: I agree definitely. Not until there's proof of some substantial changes taking place.
Marie: If there's solid proof, there's evidence of change, then yeah, it's the academy that I always wanted and I would let her go.
Ferrugia: But right now?
Marie: But right now I think things still need to be fixed.
Ruth: If it remains the same, I won't let anyone in my family anywhere near that place.

"The academy has a policy, as we talked about, for zero tolerance for rape. But it's actually zero tolerance for the victims. They accuse the victims of some other minor infractions and then drum them out of the academy because no victims equals no abuse. Therefore, it's not anyone's fault," Kira said.

About 600 of the 4,000 cadets are women. Women were allowed in the prestigious academy in June 1976.

On Friday at 9 p.m. ABC "20/20" will take a closer look at the sexual assault problem at the Air Force Academy.

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