Man charged for exposing women to HIV

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- An HIV-positive Missouri man is accused of recklessly exposing at least five area women to the virus, including one who now has AIDS.

Albert L. Spicer, 38, of Festus, faces 24 felony charges filed by Jackson County prosecutors on Wednesday.

Authorities say Spicer knew he was infected but had unprotected sex with at least five women who were unaware. Of the five, only one tested positive for HIV; she now has full-blown AIDS.

"The victims are absolutely in shock," Jackson County Prosecutor Mike Sanders said. "They have moved on to new relationships and new lives, and to have this bomb dropped on them is pretty devastating."

Police have questioned Spicer and, according to court documents, he admitted having sex with the woman who was infected but said she knew he had HIV. He denied intercourse with the others, according to the records.

But prosecutors believe they can prove Spicer knowingly exposed the victims because he was told of his condition in 1992 while serving a prison sentence for robbery and burglary. The Missouri Department of Corrections routinely screens inmates for HIV and tuberculosis.

Spicer's alleged sexual activity with the women, all in their 20s and from the Kansas City area, began in December 2000. Spicer moved to Festus in August.

Among the charges is one Class A felony stemming from his alleged infection of the one woman. If convicted, the charge carries the same punishment as second-degree murder -- 10 to 30 years in prison.

If other women eventually test positive, Sanders said Spicer could face upgraded charges.

Prosecutors were investigating the case of a sixth woman, in Kansas, but no charges were filed.

Spicer was released from prison in December 1998 on a medical parole, said John Fougere, a corrections department spokesman. He returned to prison twice before being freed again in September 2003.

Spicer was being held on a $500,000 cash bond.

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Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com