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Former college wrestler gets 30 years for ‘recklessly’ transmitting HIV
A former college wrestler has been sentenced 30 years in prison for ‘recklessly’ transmitting HIV.
Michael Johnson, 23, tested positive for HIV in January 2013. But the former Lindenwood University student continued to have unprotected sex with men he met on hookup apps until he was arrested in October that year, after a partner who contracted the virus from went to the police.
A jury found Johnson guilty of ‘recklessly infecting’ a man with HIV, attempting to infect another, and exposing three others to the virus in May.
Judge Jon Cunningham told Johnson that he had committed ‘very severe’ crimes before handing down the sentence on Tuesday (14 July).
‘The main thing is the profound effect your actions have had on the victims and their families,’ he said.
Johnson was also given 30 years and six months for the four lesser charges, which he will serve concurrently with the main sentence.
Johnson did not apologize but said in a statement: ‘I never want anyone to have to go through the pain’ of having HIV.
Missouri is one of 33 states that have HIV criminalization laws, which AIDS activists have slammed for being outdated and unfairly targeting black men.
‘The criminal statute that Michael Johnson was convicted of violating was originally passed in 1988, at a time when HIV was considered a “death sentence,”‘ said Mayo Schreiber, deputy director of The Center for HIV Law and Policy.
‘Today, with proper treatment, HIV is a chronic, manageable disease and those with HIV can expect to live a full, healthy life.
Yet violation of the Missouri law is a class A felony, with a sentencing range of 10-30 years or life imprisonment. Other class A felonies include murder or child abandonment resulting in death. Punishing Michael Johnson as if he is a murderer because state officials have failed to address a severely outdated, irrational criminal law is not only fundamentally unfair, it is barbaric.’
The post Former college wrestler gets 30 years for ‘recklessly’ transmitting HIV appeared first on Gay Star News.
Darren Wee
www.gaystarnews.com/article/former-college-wrestler-gets-30-years-for-recklessly-transmitting-hiv/
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