Friday 22 January 2016

Policeman Who Raped Vulnerable Women While On Duty Jailed For 263 Years

A former police officer convicted of raping and s3xually assaulting women while on duty has been sentenced to 263 years in prison. Disgraced Oklahoma City officer Daniel Holtzclaw , 29, preyed on women who had trouble with the law, hoping their word would not stand up against his.

Holtzclaw was charged with s3xually assaulting and raping 13 women and found guilty of 18 of the 36 charges, including four of the six rape charges.

District Judge Timothy Henderson said Holtzclaw will serve the terms consecutively and denied his request for an appeal bond.
Holtzclaw waived his right to remain in custody in the county jail for 10 days, instead opting to be taken directly to prison.

Defence attorney Scott Adams said Holtzclaw will appeal.
He ran background checks and went after those who had outstanding warrants, previous arrests or carried drugs or drug paraphernalia. They said he did this because he did not think authorities would take the victims' word over his if he had to defend himself against s3xual assault allegations.

Thirteen women took the stand in the trial, which began more than a month ago, telling jurors of s3xual assaults that ranged from touching over their clothing to forced oral s3x and rape.

One of the final people to testify was a girl who said she was 17 at the time of the sexual assault and Holtzclaw raped her on her mother's front porch.

Holtzclaw, who did not testify, was fired over the accusations in January 2015 after approximately three years on the job.

"I so desperately want my life back - the life I had before he took it away," Jannie Ligons, one of the victims of Holtzclaw, told the court in an impact statement.

Holtzclaw, wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, did not speak on his own behalf. His lawyers said after the sentence was handed down that they planned to appeal.

Another victim, Sherry Ellis, told the court she never thought a police officer would do what Holtzclaw did.

"He deserves what he gets. There will never be a day where I don't think of how I was violated," Ellis said.

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