A 24-year-old man will spend the next decade behind bars for having unprotected sex without disclosing his HIV-positive status. According to reports by Gwinnett Daily Post, James Allen Propes had sex with two women in Lawrenceville, Georgia during the summer of 2014.
At some point, Propes had unprotected sex with both women who were roommates. After researching his name on Google, the women discovered that Propes had been arrested for having unprotected sex with women and not revealing his HIV status. In 2012, he was arrested for having unprotected sex with a woman in Curry County, Oregon and was arrested for a similar crime in Lawrence, Indiana.
Once the women discovered news of Propes’ past crimes, they called authorities and had him arrested. During testimony, the victims revealed that Propes convinced them to have sex without using a condom. He also went on Craigslist to meet women specifically for sex. Propes argued that he told all of the women he slept with that he carried the life-threatening virus.
Judge Tom Davis of Gwinnett County didn’t believe that Propes revealed his status before engaging in unprotected sex with the women. Davis called Propes “evil” before handing him a 10-year prison sentence and saying that he would do whatever it takes to make sure that he spent every single day of the sentence behind bars.
Propes’ case serves as a reminder of why precautions must be taken when engaging in sex. Although HIV has become more manageable over the years due to advancements in medication, it still can pose as a serious health threat and can lead to death. It’s important to get tested for HIV every six months and to always use protection during sexual encounters.
