Texas man gets at least 75 yrs in jail after infecting girl with HIV

6/18/2014

AUSTIN, Texas — A 31-year-old Dallas man with HIV who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl was sentenced to at least 75 years in prison today for the assault and infecting her with the virus, court officials said.

Prosecutors had been seeking a 95-year sentence for Matthew Louis Reese, saying he knowingly infected the girl with HIV and did not tell her he had the virus.

Reese could receive additional time in prison when his hearing resumes on Thursday, the Dallas Morning News reported.

Reese pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges of aggravated assault on a child with a deadly weapon, aggravated sexual assault with serious bodily injury and sexual assault of a child, it said.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS can be transmitted via infected blood, contaminated syringes and through sexual contact, but can be kept in check with cocktails of drugs known as antiretroviral treatment or therapy. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Bill Trott)