Sean L. Sykes, 33, was found guilty of having unprotected sex with a St. Joseph
woman without telling her he was HIV-positive. Testimony at his trial -- which
was closed to the public to protect witnesses -- indicated that he had exposed
at least eight women to HIV. At least three have tested positive.
"I think it's fairly clear he is a very dangerous individual," Buchanan County
Prosecutor Dwight Scroggins said after the sentencing. "If he is not in prison,
he would likely continue to spread HIV."
Sykes was convicted in 1997 under a 1988 Missouri law that made it a felony to
knowingly expose someone to HIV. He was given the maximum sentence of 10 years,
but was paroled in 2003.
Scroggins said Sykes has had "numerous" other unknown sexual contacts since he
first tested positive 16 years ago.
"It's not an immediate death sentence," said assistant prosecutor Kathleen
Fisher, "but that's what he's done to these people, his victims."
A 29-year-old woman who contracted HIV in the mid-1990s after having sex with
Sykes testified at the sentencing hearing that her life had been destroyed by
the virus.
The mother of two children -- neither of whom has tested positive for the
disease -- said doctors have given her about two years to live.
"My family has left me -- they're scared of me," she said. "When I found out
that Sean was on trial again for this, it drove me crazy. The main question is
why? Why is he doing this?"
Prosecutors said Sykes began having a sexual relationship with a St. Joseph
woman in 2004, never telling her that he had HIV.
Sykes contended at his trial that the woman knew he was HIV-positive. He
apologized Tuesday for his behavior.
"I will admit my behavior in the early '90s, and up until my first conviction,
was not appropriate," he said. "Even though (the St. Joseph woman) was aware of
my status, I should have seen nothing good would come as far as a sexual
relationship."
The Associated Press
