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A Madison Heights man was sentenced to 50 years in prison on Wednesday for having sex with a 14-year-old girl and knowingly infecting her with HIV.Carlos Rose, 41, pleaded guilty in November to 11 felony counts, including two counts of producing child pornography, three counts of carnal knowledge of a child, three counts of indecent liberties and three counts of infected sexual battery.
The victim, now 15, testified during the sentencing hearing before Amherst Circuit Judge Michael Gamble, as did her mother.
“Ever since I found out that he gave me HIV, I was devastated,” she said. “I thought it was the end of my life. I thought no one would love me. What he did just ruined my mind.”
The teenager found out she was positive on her 15th birthday, her mother testified.
The girl acknowledged under questioning by Rose’s attorney, Leigh Drewry, that she initiated contact with Rose on Facebook, lied about her age and consented. She said she was 16; he said he was 19.
“Who’s the adult here?” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephanie Maddox. “He is the adult, he is the responsible one … I don’t think Mr. Rose has taken responsibility.”
Drewry called for a sentence of just more than six years to no more than 14 years, comparing the girl’s injury to chronic leukemia and acknowledging that Rose “will be marked with today’s equivalent of a scarlet letter.”
Rose, shackled at the ankles and wearing an orange jump suit, hung his head as Gamble pronounced the sentence of 135 years, with all but 50 years suspended –– which included the maximum five years each for two counts of sexual infected battery.
Maddox said afterward she was pleased with the sentence.
The family spoke briefly after the sentencing, with victim-witness advocates from Amherst and Bedford counties present. Rose faces sentencing in March in Bedford County on similar charges.
“The court and what they’ve done, we’re well pleased,” the victim’s father said. “What we want to do now is move on and live our lives as God intended.”
Said the victim’s mother, “The streets will be safer with one less predator,” and credited the family’s faith. “That’s the only reason we were able to get through this.”
Maddox said Rose had known he was HIV positive since 2007. Maddox said during his November plea hearing that Rose often took the girl back to the house he shared with his mother for their sexual encounters.
Rose was arrested after the girl’s parents reported him to Bedford City police in early June.
Investigators also found Rose had photographed and recorded video of the encounters.
In exchange for his pleas of guilty, Maddox said, Rose was not charged under provisions of Virginia law that provide for a 15-year mandatory-minimum sentence for second or subsequent offenses of child pornography production.
Rose pleaded guilty Dec. 16 in Bedford County Circuit Court to one count each of carnal knowledge of a child and soliciting to produce child pornography. He pleaded no contest to infected sexual battery. His sentencing there is set for March 1.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
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