Man gets 18 months for failing to disclose HIV status to sexual partner, purchasing and using methamphetamine
A local court sentenced a 43-year-old man to 18 months in prison for failing to disclose his HIV-positive status before engaging in sexual activities as well as repeatedly purchasing and using methamphetamine.
The Cheongju District Court’s Criminal Division also ordered the man to complete 40 hours of a substance abuse rehabilitation program, according to the court on Wednesday.
The man was convicted of violating the Act on the Control of Narcotics and the AIDS Prevention Act. The court found that he had sex on two occasions with a person he met through social media, in December 2023 and March 2024, without informing that person that he was HIV-positive.
He also bought methamphetamine five times between December 2023 and May this year via Telegram, spending about 3.7 million won ($2,700). He either used the drugs himself or sold them to the same person with whom he had sexual relations.
“The defendant has a prior conviction for drug use but still committed similar offenses again,” the judge said in the ruling. “He also engaged in conduct that could transmit the virus through bodily fluids, despite being aware of his HIV status.”
However, the court considered that the other party had not contracted the virus when determining the sentence.
