Police in Monroe, Louisiana, accused a man of raping a toddler and also implicated him in other incidents of exposing children to the AIDS virus.
The mother of the child called police and told them that the little girl said Levon Jennings, 25, had done something “ugly” to her. A medical exam then revealed the likelihood of a sexual assault, the Associated Press reported.
Records discovered at the Ouachita Parish Health Unit reported that Jennings had tested positive for HIV in 2013 and was made aware of his condition at the time. Jennings, though, insisted he never knew he had AIDS.
Jennings told police that he may not have remembered the diagnosis due to a head injury he recently suffered, the News Star said.
Records also showed that the suspect never made any effort to get treatment for his condition.
Once officers launched an investigation into the rape, they found that other children had reported similar incidents. The further investigations led to charges of exposure.
Jennings’ bail on the rape charge was set at $600,000. Bail was set at $150,000 on the additional charges. The suspect remains in custody.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.