Northwest Arkansas man with HIV was also ordered to register as a sex offender.
On Monday, a Northwest Arkansas jury found Stephen Koch guilty of purposefully infecting himself with HIV so that he could infect others. He was also found guilty on eight counts of viewing or distributing child pornography and meth possession.
Northwest Arkansas Man With HIV – A Slap in the Face to Disease Survivors
This Monday, a Northwest Arkansas tribunal sentenced Stephen Koch to 50 years in prison after the prosecution managed to prove that the accused deliberately contracted the disease in order to infect other people.
Koch’s sentencing also fueled a state-wide controversy, with HIV survivors calling out for more education and awareness.
Mark Williams, himself an HIV survivor, told a local news outlet that Koch blatantly ‘stupid’ attitude ridicules all people who have had to endure this condition. Mr. Williams declared that he could not fathom why a seemingly normal person would want to live with this malady. The survivor ended his statement by calling Koch’s actions “offensive” and “downright evil.”
Mr. Williams’ opinions regarding Koch’s outrageous behavior appears to be shared by others. For instance, Ruth Coker Burks, an HIV educator, said that what the Northwest Arkansas man did was to throw mud in the faces of all the people who struggled with the condition.
The prosecution made a breakthrough in Koch’s case after analyzing the staggering amount of child pornography stored in his computer. Court documents reveal that Koch put together a sinister plan to get infected with the disease with the purpose of infecting other people.
Conclusion
Williams also said that Kock’s action proves that people like him and Burks must redouble their efforts to teach others about what it’s like to live with a disease such as HIV and to remember all those who lost the fight.
Image source: Flickr
