Former Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Holtzclaw was sentenced to 263 years in prison Thursday, a month after he was convicted of sexually assaulting eight women.

Holtzclaw was accused of targeting vulnerable women in the areas he patrolled, looking specifically for women who had drug problems, arrest records or outstanding warrants so that either they would not go to the police to report being assaulted or so that the police would not believe them. He was found guilty on 18 of the 36 charges that he faced.

In the hearing on Thursday, District Judge Timothy Henderson also reviewed and denied a motion for a new trial made by Holtzclaw’s attorneys before sentencing him.

Activists note that Holtzclaw’s case relates to larger issues of racism in law enforcement and sexual misconduct by police officers throughout the U.S., a problem that the AP found had led to at least 1,000 officers all over the country being stripped of their badges in a six-year period.

In a city council meeting two days before the sentencing, Oklahoma City Police Chief Bill Citty spoke of plans to mend tensions that have arisen between community members and local law enforcement over this case.

“I think it’s important to hear the concerns of the community, I’ve never taken that for granted as police chief,” he said. “What the community feels and that distrust they feel is real. I don’t dismiss that. We have to work to earn that trust.”

Activists and other people following the case took to social media almost as soon as news of the sentence broke to celebrate the judge’s decision.

There it is! Justice has been served on ice – 263 years! #BlackWomenMatter – we always have! #DanielHoltzclaw https://t.co/BrCLZGpQ4t — Crystal Danell (@YesSheWrites) January 21, 2016

Judge just sentenced #holtzclaw to maximum jail time for 18 counts to run consecutively! #SayHerName!! Victory!!! — Barbara Arnwine (@BarbaraArnwine) January 21, 2016