A former area school teacher facing a past charge of sexually assaulting a girl has again been arrested, this time on a charge of knowingly exposing that alleged victim and an ex-wife to HIV.
“This is an ongoing case,” Aiken Department of Public Safety Lt. David Turno said Friday. “This is something that came to light during the investigation.”
Joel Lynn Bedenbaugh , 47, now of Camden, S.C., was charged last year with criminal sexual conduct involving an 11-year-old girl, allegations that spanned from 2003 to 2005. Lt. Turno said that case is still awaiting trial, adding that while investigating, “his (Mr. Bedenbaugh’s) HIV status was informed to us.”
Officers then contacted the alleged victim and an ex-wife of Mr. Bedenbaugh to see if they were aware he had Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Lt. Turno said that when officers learned the two had not been informed an additional charge of exposing others to HIV was added to Mr. Bedenbaugh.
“That’s a violation of state law,” Lt. Turno said.
Mr. Bedenbaugh turned himself in to the Aiken County Detention Center on Thursday and was bailed out the same day. Mr. Bedenbaugh was a former part time art teacher at St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic School in Aiken and at Warren Road Elementary in West Augusta, according for Augusta Chronicle archives.
Lt. Turno said it’s the first time he can recall his department making such a charge involving HIV. According to state law, anyone who knowingly exposes someone to HIV without first notifying the person of their condition can be charged with a felony punishable by up to a $5,000 fine or up to 10 years in prison.
The law also states it is illegal for someone who knows they have HIV to engage in prostitution; sell or donate blood or other bodily fluids; forcibly engage in sexual intercourse without the person’s consent, including a legal spouse; or to share a needle or syringe with someone without notifying them of their HIV condition.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010. All Rights Reserved.
If the child or the wife do contract it, you need to add the charge of murder to him and keep him in jail....
Florida law used to require a mandatory life sentence for anyone who knowingly exposed another to HIV without the knowledge of the person in jeopardy.
The homosexual lobby & the new apologist President's allies in the U.S. democrat/marxist party will make sure that KNOWINGLY infecting someone with the AIDS virus will stay a minor offense... i suspect any laws regarding this will eventually disappear... it would be prejudicial against those who are infected to subject them to that sort of harassment, "unfair" ridicule, & public scrutiny... if those in power now are allowed to stay in power for too much longer i would not be surprised to see the VICTIM in a case like this ACCUSED OF & FOUND GUILTY of the marxist inspired "hate crime" nonsense for ANY MENTION of the aids virus AT ALL This really has become an Alice in Wonderland government & society where decency is considered intolerance, morality is looked upon with disdain & the US Constitution is an outdated collection of ramblings by misguided & bigoted old men...{yes the blue eyed devils that the muslims (& their allies & supporters in the Congress & White House) hate so very much}
We need SEX-ED. I just found the largest HIV dating&support site Positivefish. com. It has more than 500,000 members!
OMG! Why so many guys and girls on the site are very sexy? Why so many people infect HIV?
To the child and the mother: Remember that God is a healer. You shall not die but live to declare the works of the Lord.Speak life over your situation and watch God give you a miracle. I am praying for all of you. What the devil meant for harm God will turn it into a blessing.