BENTONVILLE — A local circuit judge agreed to reduce the bond for a Siloam Springs teen accused of exposing four girls to HIV through sexual contact.
Christopher Gray, 17, is charged as an adult with four counts of exposing another person to human immunodeficiency virus. If convicted, he faces a prison sentence ranging from six to 30 years on each count.
He is accused of having sex with the girls without telling them he is HIV positive.
On Monday, Judge Robin Green granted a motion to reduce Gray's bond to $10,000. The bond had been set at $50,000. Gray is being held in the Benton County Jail.
If Gray is released, Green ordered him to wear a homemonitoring unit and to report to the Benton County Probation Office.
Gray was first arrested April 3 after police learned of the allegations involving one girl.
According to court documents, Gray tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus, and he exposed the girl, 17 to the virus by engaging in sexual contact with her without first informing her that he is HIV positive.
According to court documents, Gray told Bentonville Po lice Department detective Mark Jordan that he (Gray) is HIV positive and that he didn't wear a condom while having sex with the girl. An affidavit in the case states Gray also ad mitted he did not tell the girl he is HIV positive before hav ing sex with her.
Gray also admitted to Jordan during the interview to hav ing sex with other girls in northwest Arkansas, according to an affidavit of probable cause in the case.
Jordan was able to find three more girls who claimed to have had sex with Gray. He didn't tell the girls he is HIV pos itive, according to court documents.
The proceedings in Gray's case have been suspended pending the results of a mental evaluation for Gray at Ozark Guidance in Springdale.
Gray's next court appearance is set for 8:30 a.m. Nov. 9.
News, Pages 10 on 09/23/2009