Wickedness: Man Gets 30 Years in Jail For Intentionally Infecting People With HIV

 

A heartless 39 year old man named David Lee Mangum has gotten exactly what he deserves after a court passed a suitable sentence for his crime.

 

Mangum pleaded guilty in June to two counts of exposing another person to HIV, according to the newspaper.  

 

Court documents say that Mangum exposed the person without their knowledge or consent in April 2013. Mangum originally was charged after a male sexual partner tested positive for HIV and alerted police.

 

Mangum initially told authorities he had sexual relations with up to 300 people, with some of the encounters set up through Craigslist ads, often with strangers, including truckers and others passing through Missouri.

 

He said he did not tell any of them that he had HIV.

 

According to the Daily American Republic, Mangum said Tuesday in court: 'I was trying to make my partner jealous... I believe 12 is more accurate.'

 

It wasn't immediately clear if any of Mangum's other partners have tested positive for HIV.

 

Judge Michael Pritchett, via the news outlet, said Mangum learned he was HIV-positive in 2003 and received medical treatment from 2003 to 2009, when he moved to Stoddard County.

 

At that point, treatment stopped.

 

Mangum told the judge he didn't have a way to get to medical appointments, according to the Daily American Republic.

 

'You made the choice to not get treatment?' Pritchett was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

 

'Pretty much,' Mangum replied.

 

'You realize you placed others at risk,' Pritchett said.

 

Stoddard County prosecutor Russ Oliver urged a long sentence, the Daily American Republic reported, saying sex offenders like Mangum are a 'high risk' for re-offending once they are released.

 

Mangum's attorney, Erica Fox, reportedly described him as educated and apologetic.