[ad_1]
A man who failed to disclose his HIV status to several women with whom he had a relationship has been jailed for two years.
Gentry Burns, of Port Orange, Fla., Was sentenced Thursday to one count of uninformed sex infected with HIV. Local media WESHaid that two other charges of the same crime had been dropped.
Burns did not dispute the charge and was also sentenced to 12 months probation upon his release.
Local authorities opened an investigation into Burns’ activities in October 2019, after an ex-girlfriend told authorities she believed she contracted HIV from him when the couple dated in 2013.
A statement from the Volusia Sheriff’s Office said: “The victim had contacted other women who were dating Burns in an attempt to warn them.
“She also provided detectives with the names of other women she believed Burns might have infected.”
Through subpoenaed medical records, detectives determined that Burns had been diagnosed with HIV in January 2014.
They also identified three victims who cooperated with the investigation, confirming that they were dating Burns and engaging in sexual activity without knowing he was HIV positive. One of the three tested positive for the virus in 2017 after dating Burns in 2016.
The statement added: “Gentry Burns is believed to have traveled extensively along the eastern seaboard of the United States and may have had contact with other victims in other states.”
Detectives asked anyone who believed they had been unknowingly infected by Burns to contact the Volusia Sheriff’s Office.
While already in custody at the Volusia County Branch Jail on unrelated charges, the 27-year-old was charged with three counts for the offense.
Florida is one of 21 states in the United States where people who are aware of their HIV status are required by law to disclose their status to any sexual partner. Potential penalties for non-compliance range from less than a year in prison to life behind bars. In Florida, the maximum penalty for the offense is five years in prison.
Source link
