OKLAHOMA CITY, Dec. 11 (UPI) — Former Oklahoma City Police Officer Daniel Holtzclaw is facing life in prison after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting women in the low-income neighborhoods he patrolled.
Prosecutors said Holtzclaw, 29, handpicked the women he would assault, focusing on those who had criminal histories, lived in high-crime neighborhoods and were less likely to be believable. Of the 36 charges he faced, he was found guilty of 18,including four counts of first-degree rape, indecent exposure and oral rape.
The victims ranged in age from 17 to 50. The women said Holtzclaw forced them to perform sex acts, one while in the hospital and another on the front porch of her mother’s home. He has denied the allegations.
Holtzclaw, a former college football star who attempted an NFL career before turning to law enforcement, sobbed and shook as the verdict was read Thursday,shouting “I didn’t do it” as he was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs.
Holtzclaw is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 21. Prosecutors said they plan to ask for a 263-year sentence in the case.
“Justice was done,” District Attorney David Prater told reporters after the verdict. “To the African-American community, I’ll say this, I appreciate you trusting us and standing down and making sure nothing foolish happened during the investigation of this case and during the trying of this case.”
