Man infected with HIV virus offers sex to undercover agent
An agent with the Special Operations Unit said Friday a man with the HIV virus offered oral sex to an undercover agent for $20.
WX, 35, pleaded not guilty to one count each of prostitution and reckless conduct by an HIV-infected person. Recorder’s Court Judge Julius Hunter ordered Smith held on bonds totaling more than $20,250 and bound over the cases to Superior Court.
Agent Max Todd of the Columbus Police Department told the judge the unit was operating undercover at 28th Avenue and Dawson Street when an agent stopped near Xh. After a conversation with the agent, he stepped inside the vehicle about 10:45 p.m. Wednesday and offered to perform oral sex for $20. At the time, the suspect didn’t inform the agent he was infected.
After X was taken into custody, the suspect said he has been HIV positive for six years.
X was represented by public defender Charles Lykins, but he didn’t testify during the hearing.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HIV or human immunodeficiency virus can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS if not treated. It attacks the body’s immune system, which helps to fight off infections. The immune system of a person with HIV over time may be subject to infections or cancers, signaling the person has AIDS.
There is no effective cure to date, but the virus can be controlled with proper medical care.
