A jury on Wednesday convicted a former professional wrestler of 14 felonious assault counts alleging he had sex with women without telling them he had tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS.
Hamilton County jurors deliberated over two days before returning the verdict against Andre Davis, of Cincinnati.
Prosecutors said the 29-year-old Davis, who wrestled using stage names including Gangsta of Love, Sweet Sexy Sensation and Andre Heart, violated state law by not telling a dozen sex partners about his HIV status or lying to them.
Davis’ attorney, Greg Cohen, told WLWT-TV he would appeal the verdict. He said the state law regarding HIV and felonious assault is poorly written because it doesn’t require proof that there has been “harm or an attempt to commit harm.”
All 12 of the women who accused Davis testified that they had unprotected sex with him and he either never told them or lied about HIV, which can be transmitted through unprotected sex. The judge, citing medical privacy laws, prohibited attorneys from bringing up whether any of the women was infected with the virus.
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