A Florida man who failed to inform sexual partners about his HIV-positive status was sentenced to 2 years
Getty Images/naruecha jenthaisong
- A Florida man who did not tell his partners about his HIV status was sentenced to two years in prison.
- Gentry Burns pleaded no contest to one count of uninformed HIV-infected sexual intercourse, WESH 2 reported.
- In addition to the two-year sentence, Burns will face 12 months of probation.
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A 27-year-old Florida man was reportedly sentenced to two years in prison for failing to inform his partners about his HIV status.
Gentry Burns of Port Orange was arrested in 2019 after his ex-girlfriend reported that he was having intercourse with women and not telling them he was HIV positive, WESH 2 reported.
Medical records indicate Burns was first diagnosed in January 2014, the Daily Mail reported, and an investigation after his arrest revealed three women who had sex with Burns were not aware of his status, two of whom were diagnosed with the virus.
Burns was charged with three counts, but two were later dismissed by prosecutors, the Orlando Sentinel reported. He pleaded no contest to one count of uninformed HIV-infected sexual intercourse earlier this week, according to WESH.
In addition to the two-year sentence, Burns will also serve 12 months of probation, WESH 2 reported.
In Florida, it is against state law for a person to knowingly have an STD and not disclose that information to their partner with who they are engaging in sexual interactions. The law includes disclosure of HIV in addition to other diseases, including gonorrhea, genital herpes simplex, chlamydia, and syphilis.