A former Oklahoma City police officer faces more than 200 years in prison after being convicted Thursday of raping and sexually victimizing eight women while in the job. He was accused of assaulting or raping 13 women, all black, ages 17 to 58, from low-income neighborhoods.
Former Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Holtzclaw found guilty of rape
29-year-old Daniel Holtzclaw, a former police lieutenant with the Oklahoma City Police Department, faced 36 charges, including burglary, stalking, indecent exposure, sexual battery, forcible oral sodomy and rape. He was found guilty of eighteen of the most serious counts involving eight of the thirteen women who had accused him.
The former star college football player cried openly in the courtroom as the verdict was being read.
The jury deliberated for more than 40 hours over four days before finding Holtzclaw guilty on four counts of first-degree rape, one count of second-degree rape, six counts of sexual battery, four counts of forcible sodomy and three counts of procuring lewd acts.
Prosecutors say Holtzclaw targeted drug addicts as his rape victims.
Prosecutors said Holtzclaw preyed upon the women in one of the state's poorest neighborhoods and used his badge and uniform during traffic stops to force the victims to submit to an escalating level of crimes, from groping to rape.
Holtzclaw was accused of manipulating the victims by promising to drop a drug charge against them if they didn't report the purported assaults.
"I didn't think anyone would believe me. I'm a black female," one accuser testified in the trial, according to the newspaper. She alleged Holtzclaw touched her bare breasts and later went to her home to force her to expose her genitals and breasts.
The four first-degree rape convictions could have each carried a life sentence, but the jury recommended thirty years on each charge, and a total of 263 years in prison. Happy fucking birthday, Daniel Holtzclaw.
Formal sentencing will take place on January 21.
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