Woman Alleges Boyfriend Tried to Give Her HIV On Purpose
By: Lauren Trager, KARK 4 News
Updated: July 23, 2012
A woman has her ex-boyfriend arrested, she says, because he tried to give her HIV on purpose.
Arkansas is one of the first states to make it a crime to knowingly attempt to transmit HIV.
It will be up to a jury to decide if a man should spend up to 30 years in jail for his alleged actions.
"He spent time with me and my kids, it was all going great," said Rebecca Williams.
Earlier this year, Rebecca Williams began what she thought was a great relationship with a fellow tenant at this Little Rock apartment complex.
Things were going so well, the two even got engaged.
Williams never thought her partner had HIV because she says he never told her.
"He kept telling me he was totally clean and so I went and got my yearly done and then he confessed it all." said Williams.
After months of an intimate relationship Williams learned Eric Hopkins had been lying to her. Now, she's had him arrested and charged for knowingly trying to infect her with HIV.
In fact, Williams says he finally admitted to her he wanted an HIV-positive wife, so he wouldn't die alone.
"He would preach the word of God, telling me he blessed me with HIV, that it wasn't a curse, it was a blessing," Williams said.
Williams immediately filed a police report. Now, she is waiting to take the case to trial in September.
"It is a very serious crime," said Prosecutor Larry Jegley.
Jegley says he can't comment on this particular case but says cases like this are very rare.
Since 2007, only 27 people in the state have been arrested for the crime and 10 convicted.
Jegley says they simply have to prove the person who knew there infected, tried to transmit the disease without informing their partner.
Jegley says it doesn't even matter if the partner actually contracted HIV.
"It's like an assault, shooting at someone and you didn't hit and kill them, well you could have, same thing," Jegley said.
Williams is so grateful she's testing negative.
She says Hopkins is mentally sick and needs help. still, she's seeking justice.
To others, she says simply: beware of who you sleep with.
"Don't trust anybody, do your research," said Williams.
This case is set for a hearing next month. Hopkins is still in jail and Williams has an order saying he can't contact her.
Prosecutor Larry Jegley says he's handled about ten of these cases, all but one ended in conviction here.
