US: Arkansas man accused of HIV exposure, under-age rape

A 29 year-old HIV-positive man from Little Rock, Arkansas has been arrested for allegedly raping a boy (age unknown) and exposing him to HIV.

According to a short report on local TV station website, Fox16.com, the man is alleged to have "touched him inappropriately...[knowing] he was HIV positive and still exposed the boy to his disease."

There is, of course, no defence to sexual child abuse. However, one wonders if there was any risk of HIV exposure from touching "inappropriately"?

Anyway, I'm reporting this mainly because of what prosecuting attorney Larry Jegley is quoted as saying.

"When they come along particularly in context of a child, it's extremely disturbing and gets the anger factor working quite frankly among my people here when we get those cases."

By "they" is he referring to rape, HIV exposure, rape and HIV exposure, or simply people living with HIV? Perhaps when it comes to his court date we'll actually know whether the man's HIV status truly is relevent here.