Joseph Adam Silva made his first appearance in court on Monday on charges relating to the impersonation of an officer and sexual assaults of four women.

WILMINGTON -- A former reserve police officer in Carolina Beach made his first appearance in court Monday on charges relating to the impersonation of an officer and sexual assaults of four women.

Joseph Adam Silva, 29, appeared by video in New Hanover County District Court, where Judge Lindsay Luther told Silva he could face more than 44 years in prison if convicted.

He is charged with three counts of second-degree burglary, two counts of child abuse, four counts of impersonating a law enforcement officer, two counts of sexual servitude, one count of second-degree sex offense, embezzlement and improper storage of firearms.

According to the arrest warrants, on Jan. 12, March 8, March 9 and March 15, Silva met with the women and told them he was an undercover police officer conducting a prostitution sting. He allegedly showed them a police badge, had in his possession a handgun and sexually assaulted them, the warrants say.

On at least three of those occasions, according to the warrants, the assaults happened inside a vacant Carolina Beach summer home that Silva broke into next door to the home he shared with his wife and children. The fourth assault took place in a vehicle, according to the warrants.

His bail is set at $2.5 million.

Luther appointed Silva’s case to the public defender’s office at his request.

Just as the brief hearing was ending, Silva made a request.

“Is there any way I can get the bail lowered?” he asked.

“That’s something your attorney would need to speak to the DA’s Office about to schedule a bond hearing,” Luther said. “We are not going to be able to do that at this initial setting.”

According to the Carolina Beach Police Department, Silva worked as a reserve deputy from March 30 to Sept. 23, 2015.

Contact F.T. Norton at 910-343-2070 or Fran.Norton@StarNewsOnline.com.