HEIDE BRANDES
OKLAHOMA CITY – An Oklahoma
City police officer accused of sexually assaulting 13 women while on duty will
face trial for 35 felony counts including rape and sexual assault, court
officials said on Wednesday.
If convicted, Daniel Holtzclaw,
27, could face life in prison. Holtzclaw, who is on paid leave, has denied the
allegations against him and remains under house arrest at his parents' home in
Enid, about 70 miles north of Oklahoma City.
At a pretrial hearing this
week, 13 women testified about being forced into sex with the officer, who
threatened many of them with jail. The charges include six counts of
first-degree rape.
"He was an officer. And I
was scared. And I knew he could hurt me," one woman said in court.
Another victim, aged 17, said
she was raped by Holtzclaw on the front porch of her mother's home. She
testified Holtzclaw picked her up while she walking home and threatened to
arrest her on outstanding warrants.
Holtzclaw, who had been on the
force for three years, was arrested in August and charged with assaulting eight
women. Other victims have came forward since then. Most of the incidents are
suspected of taking place between February and June.
Holtzclaw's next court date is
Jan. 21.
