Local Prostitute HIV Positive

John Carlin

Text size: small | medium | large

By John Carlin
WSLS10 Anchor
Published: May 1, 2007

“It bothers everybody up here.” So says a resident who lives on Day Avenue in Roanoke, from the front seat of a mini-van, that pulled up to talk to us as we shot a story about prostitution in her neighborhood.

People in the 600 block of Day Avenue tell me prostitution is out of control. In ten minutes she was one of several people who complained.

“Well they just, 24-7 they are on the street. Really. People stop by, and you’d be surprised the people who pick ‘em up.”

Two teenage girls who live there say drivers hit on them all the time.

Carlin: Do you ever feel threatened? Girls: Yes. They stalk us. They just keep circling around our block. Circling.

But now these streets have a more dangerous problem. At least one of the prostitutes working the area is HIV positive—but she’s still working.

Police Lt. Libby Legg: “The prostitute was approached by two detectives and she agreed to perform sexual act for an amount of money. After she was arrested on that charge.. The detective did a criminal history...and found that she was charged in the past with attempting to spread a communicable disease.”

The woman admitted to police that the disease is HIV.

Back on the street, consider the odds.

“Police tell me this street corner (6th & Day) is one of the busiest in Roanoke when it comes to prostitution. But what does busy mean in a city the size of Roanoke? How many prostitutes are there? Are they a thousand, 500, 100? Try 25.”

That’s right. Police say there are only about 25 regular girls on these streets. Meaning the chances of picking up a potentially deadly disease are higher than most people realize.

Bottom line—police are hoping that the people who patronize the corner hookers may back if—if they realize their chances of getting a life ending disease are higher than they thought.

The woman accused of attempting to spread HIV by “knowingly having sex” even though she is positive faces felony charges soon in Roanoke City Court.