Advertisement Former OKC police officer Daniel Holtzclaw sentenced to 263 years in prison Holtzclaw to serve consecutive sentence Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Former Oklahoma city police officer Daniel Holtzclaw learned Thursday he will spend the rest of his life in prison.For the victims, detectives and attorneys who were behind the case for a year and half, the 263-year prison term handed out to Holtzclaw brings relief.Lead Detective Kim Davis said she held the hand of the victims for the entire process.“It’s what I wanted,” she said about the sentence. “I wanted to ensure that he doesn’t get out and I’m happy with it.”Victim advocate Sheri Dickerson has been in the courtroom for the entire trial. She wanted to jump for joy when hearing his sentence, but said there’s also concern for Holtzclaw and his family."His choices have lead to the destruction of his life,” Dickerson said. “I have empathy for his family. I hope he is able to be rehabilitated and possibly, if there’s any good, that he would be able to mentor other sexual predators to change their habits and life style.”Holtclaw, 29, glared at the three victims as they read their impact statements, but they never looked his way.Holtzclaw’s family has remained silent.His father, Eric Holtzclaw, said there are a lot of friends in the Enid community that believe in his son’s innocence. He expressed hope that someone will come forward and say this was all made up.Daniel Holtzclaw's attorney, Scott Adams, broke his silence about the case for the first time since the trial started.“It’s a tough case from the beginning," Adams said. "We knew when we got started with it, it is what It is. Daniel maintains his innocence.”Adams said a higher court would handle any appeals from now on.The way Holtzclaw's sentence is structured, he likely will never be eligible for parole. He waived his right to stay in a local jail, and he could be transferred to prison any time after Thursday.Because of his former job as a police officer, he could be ordered to serve his sentence in another state.Holtzclaw, who was found guilty on 18 of 36 charges relating to sexual assault on Dec. 10, will have a deadline to file appeals and motions once his record is complete, which could take several months.