OKLAHOMA CITY — Two new charges were filed Tuesday against an Oklahoma City police officer accused of sexually assaulting 13 women while on patrol.
Daniel Holtzclaw now faces 36 charges — including rape, sexual battery and stalking — the latest filed following testimony during the second day of a preliminary hearing. The 27-year-old officer, who is on leave, was arrested in August and has pleaded not guilty to all but the additional charges filed Monday and Tuesday.
A 44-year-old woman testified that Holtzclaw forced her to expose herself while seated in his patrol car on May 8, prompting the additional charges of procuring lewd exhibition. The woman, who testified she was a convicted felon, used crack cocaine and previously had been a prostitute, also said Holtzclaw forced her to perform oral sex.
Like other women who have testified, she said she did not want to do these things, but was frightened.
“Who am I to a police officer? I didn’t know what was going to happen next,” she said through tears.
The hearing will determine whether there is sufficient evidence that crimes have been committed and whether there is probable cause to believe that Holtzclaw committed them. All 13 of the victims are black; Holtzclaw is listed as Asian or Pacific Islander in court records. It’s not clear whether race played a role in the alleged crimes.
Prosecutors also modified one count of sexual battery to procuring lewd exhibition on Tuesday following testimony by a different woman who said she was made to expose herself before she was raped.
Police began investigating Holtzclaw after a woman who testified Monday reported an alleged assault on June 18. None of the other women who have spoken at the hearing reported incidents until detectives contacted them after opening an investigation of Holtzclaw.
Holtzclaw, who had been with the department for three years, was initially accused of assaulting eight women and more charges were added when other victims came forward, some of whom said they did so after watching news reports.
The maximum charge for one count of first-degree rape alone is life in prison.
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