US: HIV-positive man who forced wife to have oral sex arrested for HIV exposure, rape

An HIV-positive man was arrested in the New Orleans area last Saturday, after his wife complained to police investigating a disturbance that he had forced her to have oral sex with her, without a condom.

He is charged with aggravated rape, second-degree battery, intentional exposure of another person to HIV...and several outstanding traffic violations.

The full story, from The Times-Picayne, is below.

Husband held on rape, HIV charges
Police are called to Gretna hotel room
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
West Bank bureau

A Harvey man accused of raping his wife and intentionally exposing her to the HIV virus remained in the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center on Monday.

The 43-year-old man was booked Saturday with aggravated rape, second-degree battery, intentional exposure of another person to HIV and several outstanding traffic violations. His bond was set at $370,000. The Times-Picayune, which does not identify the victims of sex crimes, is not publishing the man's name to protect his wife's identity.

Gretna Deputy Police Chief Charles Whitmer said police were called to a disturbance at a hotel in the 1400 block of Claire Avenue on Saturday evening. When they arrived, they were directed to a hotel room occupied by the couple.

Whitmer said that as deputies approached the room, the man stuck his head outside and said that everything was fine. However, his wife began screaming for help from inside the room, Whitmer said.

When officers entered the room, the woman told them that her husband had come back to the hotel intoxicated and demanded that she have sex with him. When she refused, she said he beat her and forced her to perform oral sex on him without a condom. The woman was briefly able to escape the room, but her husband chased her down and dragged her back to the room by her hair, Whitmer said.

He said that police learned that the man has been HIV-positive for several years and that he and his wife are aware of his condition. The woman told officers the couple typically used protection during sexual relations.

Whitmer said that if someone who is HIV-positive knowingly engages in unprotected sex, particularly if the sex is nonconsensual, he or she can be booked with intentional exposure of the disease.