A 23-year-old former college wrestler from Missouri known as “Tiger Mandingo” online was found guilty of infecting one gay sex partner with HIV while attempting to expose four others to the virus.
via NY Daily News:
Michael L. Johnson faces life in prison after a St. Charles County, Mo. jury found him guilty on five of six counts Thursday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
Assistant
Prosecutor Phil Groenweghe told jurors in closing arguments that
Johnson continued to have sex with multiple men in his Lindenwood
University dorm room, even after testing HIV positive in December 2011.
Prosecutor Phil Groenweghe told jurors in closing arguments that
Johnson continued to have sex with multiple men in his Lindenwood
University dorm room, even after testing HIV positive in December 2011.
“What we have here is a perfect storm of malice,” Groenweghe told jurors.
Johnson told two of his sex partners that he was disease-free when asked, according to Groenweghe.
“He lied,” Groenweghe said.
Police
confiscated his laptop and found 32 videos of him having unprotected
sex, often in his dorm room at the Presbyterian college, the
Post-Dispatch reported.
confiscated his laptop and found 32 videos of him having unprotected
sex, often in his dorm room at the Presbyterian college, the
Post-Dispatch reported.
Johnson
was a state wrestling champion from Indianapolis before capturing the
2012 National Junior College championship at Lincoln College in
Illinois. Then he transferred to NCAA Division II Lindenwood.
was a state wrestling champion from Indianapolis before capturing the
2012 National Junior College championship at Lincoln College in
Illinois. Then he transferred to NCAA Division II Lindenwood.
The
prosecutor argued that Johnson recklessly exposed his partners to HIV,
even after telling a nurse and a state disease prevention specialist
testified that he wasn’t sexually active during several follow-up visits
in the 10 months after being diagnosed with HIV, a precursor for AIDS,
at a campus clinic in January 2013.
prosecutor argued that Johnson recklessly exposed his partners to HIV,
even after telling a nurse and a state disease prevention specialist
testified that he wasn’t sexually active during several follow-up visits
in the 10 months after being diagnosed with HIV, a precursor for AIDS,
at a campus clinic in January 2013.
“I was scared and confused,” Johnson testified. “I didn’t have any knowledge of HIV. I knew it was an STD, that’s all.”
Johnson was also diagnosed with other sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea.
But the
prosecution showed evidence that Johnson tested positive for HIV two
years earlier in Indiana, the Post-Dispatch reported.
prosecution showed evidence that Johnson tested positive for HIV two
years earlier in Indiana, the Post-Dispatch reported.
“It was new to me, and I didn’t know how to tell people,” Johnson said in a taped interview that was played in court.
Johnson was expelled from the university and has remained in jail since his arrest in October 2013.
Sentencing begins Friday.
Let this be a tale of caution — practice safe sex, love muffins.
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