In a troubling case that highlights the intersection of health, exploitation, and financial desperation, a 37-year-old man has been sentenced to one year and eight months in prison after persuading his wife to work as a sex worker, even after she was also diagnosed with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
According to ST, the 44-year-old woman, identified only as a victim in the prosecution’s case, complied with her husband’s demands, choosing not to disclose her HIV status to clients for fear of losing business.
The man pleaded guilty to four charges, including two counts related to encouraging his wife to engage in prostitution. Additionally, 14 other charges were considered during sentencing, notably charges regarding his instructions for her to keep her HIV status a secret from clients, the report added.
Sex Worker Sentenced to Jail for Engaging in Unprotected Sex Without Disclosing HIV Status
FAST CASH :
Details emerging from court documents indicate that the couple, who cannot be named due to a gag order, had met online and entered a relationship in 2014. The husband disclosed his HIV-positive status to his wife early in their relationship.
As they faced financial strain following the birth of their child, he suggested that she take up sex work to earn “fast cash.”
Deputy Public Prosecutor Tin Shu Min recounted that, “The victim initially disagreed to the accused’s suggestion. However, the accused eventually persuaded her to agree by alluding to their financial difficulty.”
The couple frequented Geylang, a known red-light district, where the woman would wait by the roadside while her husband solicited clients for her services.
Following a transaction, he would escort her to hotels, instructing her to contact him if any issues arose. The couple charged clients between $70 and $90, with variances based on whether condoms were used.
2014 to 2018
In September 2017, the victim was hospitalized for undisclosed reasons, during which she was diagnosed with HIV. It was noted that both she and her husband were aware that she had contracted the virus from him.
As per the report, the DPP said: “To the knowledge of both parties, the victim had contracted HIV from the accused.” Despite her diagnosis, the woman continued to provide sexual services.
The prosecution stated, “The accused told the victim not to tell her customers that she is HIV-positive, knowing that customers would not engage her services if they knew.”
Although she expressed a desire to inform her clients about her condition, he dissuaded her, claiming it would jeopardize their income. From 2014 to 2018, the victim reportedly earned at least $500 from her illicit activities.
The couple married in July 2018, after which she ceased her work upon discovering her pregnancy. However, in 2019, as financial pressures mounted post-childbirth, the husband once again pressured her to return to sex work.
The DPP conveyed that, after initial reluctance, she felt compelled to agree once more due to their dire financial situation. The husband escalated his involvement by advertising her services on the messaging platform, Telegram, where he posed as her to communicate with clients, negotiate rates, and set appointments.
DPP : “The victim again disagreed initially, but the accused was persistent in asking her to do so… She was persuaded to agree with the accused, as she understood that their family was in financial difficulty.”
The victim conducted her services either in hotels or within their shared home, sometimes while their child slept nearby or was taken out by the husband.
12 CUSTOMERS
Investigations indicated that the man had communicated with at least 12 potential clients via Telegram from December 20, 2021, to March 15, 2022. Among these clients were two men who engaged in protected sex with his wife, unaware of her HIV-positive status. Both men have since tested negative for HIV.
On March 15, 2022, the man sent a message via WhatsApp to inform his wife that a client was scheduled to arrive at 4 PM. She declined to see the client and expressed to her husband that she no longer wished to continue as a sex worker, mentioning that she had already informed her father about their arrangement.
The following day, she filed a police report.
The court was informed that her viral load had been undetectable on several occasions between April 2019 and March 2022. At the time of the offenses, it was mandated that individuals diagnosed with HIV must disclose their status to partners prior to engaging in sexual activities.
However, an amendment to the Infectious Diseases Act, which came into effect in 2024, eliminates this requirement for those who can prove, through medical documentation, that they have maintained an undetectable viral load over a specified period while receiving treatment to manage the virus.
Image via stock
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