Troy Taylor (Hamilton County Jail).
An Ohio man is facing multiple assault charges after he allegedly failed to disclose his HIV-positive status to his sexual partners.
Authorities in Colerain Township, a Cincinnati suburb, launched an investigation on May 1 after receiving a report accusing 37-year-old Troy Taylor of “knowingly engaging in sexual activity with the victim without disclosing his HIV-positive status.” Following an investigation, Taylor was apprehended on July 14 and charged with second-degree felonious assault.
After Taylor posted bond, investigators uncovered additional alleged victims, leading to his indictment on further charges of felonious assault on July 23. The indictment specifies that the incidents took place between June 2023 and March of this year. Taylor was re-arrested on Aug. 6 with assistance from the United States Marshals Service Southern Ohio Fugitive Task Force.
Authorities citied the Ohio Revised Code Section 2903.11(B)(1), which states:
(B) No individual, aware of having tested positive as a carrier for the virus causing acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, shall deliberately engage in any of the described activities:
(1) Engage in sexual conduct with another person without disclosing that knowledge to the other person prior to engaging in the sexual conduct
The Center for HIV Law & Policy notes that Ohio is among five states, including Arkansas, Louisiana, South Dakota, and Washington state, where a conviction might include mandatory registration on the Sex Offense Registry as part of the penalties.
He was taken to the Hamilton County Jail, where he remains on a $100,000 bond. It”s unclear if he has obtained an attorney.
Individuals with relevant information or those who believe they may be affected are encouraged to contact the Colerain Township Police Department’s Criminal Investigative Unit at (513) 321-2677.
