GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – A Jacksonville man appeared before a judge in Clay County Tuesday morning after the Sheriff's Office said he had sex with a woman without telling her he had the HIV virus.
Cameron Malone was ordered to be held on a total of $175,000 bond and his next court date was set for June 10.
Officials say Malone, 47, met a woman on Craigslist and had multiple encounters with her before disclosing his diagnosis.
Malone eventually told the woman that he had been diagnosed with HIV in 1998 and that he was currently in treatment for it.
The woman became very distraught and called the Clay County Sheriff's Office, where she found out that Malone was also a registered sex offender who had also failed to register with the state.
Malone (pictured in first appearance Tuesday morning) is the third man arrested this year for not telling a partner about their HIV status.
News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith has said it before and now he's saying it again -- know the status of your partner before you have sex.
"This the third time this year that we've done this and each time it's been on a social website, Craigslist or something like that," Smith said.
Smith said it's more important now than ever to ask a potential partner about their sexual and criminal history.
"Just go down and suggest that both of you be tested together. And if that person refuses to be tested, that might be a sign that something may be wrong. You really have to protect yourself nowadays," Smith said.
Smith also said that if you live in Jacksonville, you can go to COJ.net, the sheriff's office website, and see if the person has ever been arrested. This won't tell you about their HIV status but it will tell you about their criminal record.
People can also go to the Florida Department of Corrections website and that will tell you if they have ever been in a state prison.