A Port Orange man with HIV was charged with having sex with multiple partners without informing them of his infection, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said.
Gentry Burns, 26, was charged after Sheriff’s Office detectives said they identified three women who engaged in sexual activity with him without knowing he was HIV positive.
The investigation started after an ex-girlfriend of Burns came forward to report she believed she contracted HIV from him when they dated in 2013.
“The victim had been reaching out to contact other women who were dating Burns in an attempt to warn them,” a news release said.
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Previous story: Florida man accused of not telling sexual partners of HIV
Detectives confirmed through subpoenaed medical records that Burns was diagnosed HIV positive in January 2014. Three victims confirmed they dated and had sex with him without knowing he was infected.
One woman was diagnosed HIV positive in 2017 after dating Burns in 2016, detectives said.
“It’s believed that Gentry Burns traveled extensively along the East Coast of the United States and may have had contact with additional victims in other states. Detectives are asking anyone who believes they may be a victim to contact the Volusia Sheriff’s Office,” the release said.
Burns was already in custody at the Volusia County Branch Jail on unrelated charges and will remain there without bail on the new charges, detectives said.
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Detectives believe other victims could still come forward. Anyone who has dated Burns and believes they might be at risk is urged to see a doctor and to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 386-248-1777.
The Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook post: “Under Florida law, it’s illegal for anyone who knows they have any of several sexually transmitted diseases to have sex with another person without informing them of the disease. Those diseases are: HIV, chancroid, gonorrhea, granuloma inguinale, lymphogranuloma venereum, genital herpes simplex, chlamydia, nongonococcal urethritis (NGU), pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)/acute salpingitis, or syphilis.”
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