On Feb. 21, 2014, Pastor Craig Davis was sentenced to 10 years in prison for knowingly exposing women to HIV. Ronita McAfee, who is HIV negative, recently spoke to rolling out about her sexual relationship with Pastor Davis and the ordeal she faced during his criminal trial.
How did you and Craig Davis begin a sexual relationship?
I reacquainted with an old friend on Facebook, Mr. Craig Lamar Davis. He and I were full speed ahead with our relationship. But on Saturday, May 19, that was our last time having sex. We had such a good time that Saturday morning. We vibed and laughed together that morning. He called me Saturday afternoon, a couple hours after we had parted ways to our jobs. He was crying like something was bothering him. It was like a child’s cry after they had been punished or hurt themselves. All he kept saying was, ‘I don’t want to hurt you. I shouldn’t be feeling this way, I don’t want to hurt you.’ Then he said that we couldn’t have sex anymore.
At what point did you find out he was HIV-poistive?
That following Tuesday, he called me around lunchtime like he normally does and said we need to talk. He was adamant about it being serious, so I became serious as well. I asked him what was wrong and what was going on. That’s when he told me he had just gotten a phone call from an ex-girlfriend that told him she was HIV-positive and that he needed to get tested. He said I was the first person who came to his mind. That’s when my world went dark. It was at that very moment.
Did you know he was married?
During our first conversation after being reacquainted, he eventually told me that he was married. He doesn’t advertise it on his Facebook or wear a wedding ring. While we were talking, I asked if he was in a relationship. He hesitated for a while and said “Yes,” but [claimed] they were separated.
Did his wife ever reach out to you?
She called and it wasn’t a pretty conversation. He and his wife did not want me to go public or file any charges against him for doing what he did. After I filed charges, she called me to defend him regarding his HIV status and me filing charges against him. Mr. Davis filed a [temporary restraining order] against me in order to make me stay quiet. But I was adamant about him being off of the streets. I called the police and asked where they were in the investigation and getting him off the street. I got word that he was at Elizabeth Baptist Church off Cascade Road in Atlanta. I called 911 and let them know that he had a warrant out. I followed him to a Wendy’s where he decided to go in and enjoy a meal with his sons. The police arrived shortly and arrested him at that Wendy’s.
During the trial, how was it proven that Pastor Davis knowingly had sex with you and other women while HIV-positive?
First, they had to prove that he was HIV positive and that he knew he was HIV positive. Then they had to prove that we had sex and that he did not disclose his status. Those are the four things that had to be proven to the jurors. We discovered that he had AIDS and was diagnosed in 2005. They got court orders for his doctors to come and testify and things of that nature. These aspects of the case had to be presented to the jury over and over again.
What advice do you give to individuals who are having unprotected sex?
Anyone that is having sex, this can happen to you. There are a lot of misconceptions and myths about HIV [and] AIDS. It is best to know which tests are the most accurate and to hold yourself accountable for what you do and what you know. We never know what other people are doing.
