Idaho Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Deliberately Transmitting HIV

A file photograph of a judge's gavel. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

An Idaho man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for purposely trying to spread HIV to dozens of victims, the Ada County Prosecutor’s office announced on Monday.

Alexander Louie, 34, was sentenced for a felony charge of transferring body fluids containing the HIV virus and felony sexual battery with a minor and child enticement.

He will be eligible for parole after 16 years.

The Honorable Ada County District Judge Derrick O’Neill sentenced Mr. Louie last week, according to the Ada County Prosecutor’s office.

“Your conduct would be the Webster’s definition of a predator,” said Judge O’Neill during Mr. Louie’s sentencing.

According to prosecutors, detectives began investigating Mr. Louie in August 2023—initially as a child enticement case—after he began exchanging sexually explicit messages online with an individual whom he believed to be a 15-year-old boy but who was actually an undercover Ada County Sheriff’s Detective.

Mr. Louie had arranged to meet up with the “boy” to have sex and had sent him naked images of himself prior to their meeting, prosecutors said.

He also informed the “boy” that he planned to videotape their encounter, according to prosecutors.

However, Mr. Louie was instead arrested by officers upon arrival at the arranged meeting point in September 2023.

The investigation into Mr. Louie, who is HIV positive, later expanded when police discovered that he was not taking his HIV medication and “purposely having sexual contact with both men and teenage boys in hopes to transfer HIV to them,” prosecutors said.

Mr. Louie lied to between 30-50 different men and boys about his HIV status, according to the Ada County Prosecutor’s office.

‘Predatory, Dangerous Conduct’

His alleged victims included a 16-year-old with whom he had illegal sexual contact three times, prosecutors said.

Mr. Louie was charged in November last year.

According to the Idaho Statesman, Mr. Louie reached a plea deal with prosecutors under which he agreed to plead guilty to three felonies–sexual battery of a minor, the enticement of a child through the internet, and transferring body fluids containing HIV—in exchange for having other charges against him dismissed.

However, two more charges against him for allegedly transferring HIV are still pending, according to the publication.

Human immunodeficiency viruses, or HIV, target the immune system, destroying immune cells and weakening the body’s defense against multiple infections, including cancer, that those with healthy immune systems would typically be able to fight off, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The virus can develop into acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) if untreated.

There is currently no cure for HIV, although it can be controlled with treatment that helps to drastically slow the progression of the disease.

Mr. Louie is expected to appear at a hearing for both of those cases later this month, according to the Idaho Statesman.

“This defendant’s repeated and egregious offenses negatively impacted many people in our community,” said Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts in a statement. “I want to thank the Ada County Sheriff’s Detective and my trial team. Their hard work on this case ensured Mr. Louie was brought to justice in order to protect our community from his predatory and dangerous conduct.”

It is not clear if Mr. Louie has legal representation.

The Epoch Times has contacted the Ada County Prosecutor’s office for further comment.