Man convicted of using sex to spread HIV could get over 100 years in prison

Jet, Nov 29, 2004

A Washington-area man was convicted by a judge recently on charges he deliberately exposed 17 women to HIV by having unprotected sex with them. Five of the women have tested positive for the virus, which causes AIDS.

Anthony E. Whitfield, 32, faces a minimum sentence of 137 years in prison on 17 counts of first-degree assault with sexual motivation and other charges.

Health officials said as many as 170 people may have been exposed to the virus because of Whitfield's actions, counting subsequent partners of women he slept with. No additional people have tested positive for HIV, but 45 refused to be tested or couldn't be found.

During the trial in Thurston County court, an Oklahoma prison official testified that Whitfield was diagnosed with HIV while incarcerated in 1992.

Two women testified that Whitfield once said, seemingly in jest, that if he had HIV, he would give it to as many people as he could.