A former Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper suspended after a July rape accusation was formally charged last week.
Eric Roberts, a 16-year veteran of the OHP, resigned in September after he was arrested following an investigation into a claim that he raped a woman on a July 22 traffic stop.
Rape Charges Against Oklahoma Highway Patrol Officer
News broke that the OHP trooper was suspended, but no reason was given for the suspension until his accuser filed a lawsuit against Roberts and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol claiming that the trooper illegally stopped her and raped her during a traffic stop.
After the allegations in the lawsuit became public, another woman came forward saying that Roberts pulled her over in a traffic stop on July 8 and forced her to engage in oral sex.
A third accuser also came forward saying that the trooper had pulled her over on June 15 and offered her $20 to perform a lap dance for him and told her that "he wanted to have sex in the back of a U-Haul."
Reports say that Roberts acted "inappropriately" in three other traffic stops, but his actions in those instances were short of illegal.
Roberts has now been charged with 14 criminal counts in the three cases. Ten of those counts are felonies. Charges against the former trooper include second degree rape, rape by instrumentation, forcible sodomy, sexual battery, embezzlement, and bribery.
Additional Charges
Members of three separate law enforcement agencies in Oklahoma have been criminally charged with on-duty sex crimes. In addition to the former Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper charged with rape, and Oklahoma City Police officer and a Tulsa County Sheriff's deputy have also been charged with sex offenses.
Daniel Holtzclaw, a former police officer with the Oklahoma City Police Department's Springlake division is charged with 26 criminal counts after being accused of raping and sexually assaulting at least 7 women during traffic stops or as they walked through neighborhoods while he was on patrol. Holtzclaw allegedly first assaulted drug users and prostitutes who would be unlikely to report him, but he was caught after a woman with no criminal history reported being assaulted by the police officer. Holtzclaw is charged with crimes including first degree rape, second degree rape, indecent exposure, sexual battery, forcible oral sodomy, stalking, first degree burglary, and procuring lewd exhibitions.
Two days after Roberts was arrested, Tulsa County Sheriff's deputy Gerald Nuckolls was arrested after two women claimed he came to their apartment saying he was investigating a 9-1-1 hang-up call and sexually assaulted them. He is charged with two counts of sexual battery, one count of indecent exposure, and one count of outraging public decency.
Legal Options for Rape Charges
If you or a loved one have been charged with first or second degree rape it's crucial that you contact an experienced attorney before talking with anyone else. Your family, reputation, and perhaps your life could be at stake. At the Law Offices of Adam R. Banner our attorneys specialize in rape defense. We can ensure that ALL evidence is brought to light and that your rights are protected throughout the trial process.
