Oklahoma City cop accused of raping black women to serve 263 years

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Daniel Holtzclaw took advantage of his authority as a cop.
(Image credit: REUTERS/Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office/Handout via Reuters)

Former Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Holtzclaw was sentenced Thursday to a full 263 years in prison for a series of rapes and sexual assaults against black women. Holtzclaw was charged in December on 18 separate counts of rape, sexual battery, forcible sodomy, and procuring lewd exposure; 13 different women, all black, came forward as accusers.

"[Holtzclaw] didn't choose CEOs or soccer moms. He chose women he could count on not telling what he was doing. He counted on the fact no one would believe them and no one would care," Prosecutor Lori McConnell said in her closing arguments.

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Jeva Lange
Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.