Boone not guilty of attempted murder
LEGAL NEWS / Judge says witness's testimony unreliable
Bradley Turcotte / Ottawa / Thursday, January 03, 2013
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A Superior Court judge has found Steven Boone not guilty of attempting to infect a developmentally delayed man with HIV.
 
On Jan 3, Justice Bonnie Warkentin found Boone not guilty of attempted murder, attempted aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault and attempting to administer a noxious substance. He was, however, found guilty of failing to comply with conditions for engaging in sexual acts with the witness.
 
Warkentin said that although she does not believe much of Boone’s testimony and there is evidence that he did intend to “breed” the witness, the witness’s story was too inconsistent and “confusing” to convict Boone beyond a reasonable doubt.
 
On Oct 31, a jury found Boone guilty of three counts of attempted murder, three counts of administering a noxious substance -- his semen -- and three counts of aggravated sexual assault in a separate Ottawa trial.
 
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 5. The Crown will conduct a 60-day assessment to determine whether to pursue a dangerous-offender designation.

On Dec 19, a jury in Kitchener-Waterloo found Boone guilty of attempted aggravated assault. Sentencing for the Kitchener trial is expected to be set Jan 25.  

Justice Bonnie Warkentin found Boone not guilty of attempted murder Jan 3. A sentencing hearing for Boone's separate Ottawa trial is scheduled for Apr 5.
(Ottawa Police Service)

 
 


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Reader Comments


 
Use of the term breeding
The article quotes the judge as saying she does not believe much of Boone’s testimony and there is evidence that Boone did intend to breed the developmentally delayed man. By referring to the term breeding (which is used by many members of the bareback/poz fetish community who eroticize HIV infection), the judge acknowledges that particular gay male subculture which is so prevalent online and in certain bareback gay male pornography. In doing so, the judge was much more honest than (1) AIDS activists opposed to criminal sanctions for HIV-positive people who fail to disclose their HIV status to their sexual partners before having unprotected sex and (2) AIDS service organizations that obtain funding from governments and other donors for HIV prevention campaigns, yet fail to produce any hard-hitting prevention efforts. For political/ideological reasons, the latter two groups have consistently refused to publicly acknowledge the reality of certain members of the bareback/poz fetish community who eroticize HIV infection and who try to infect others with HIV. As a result, governments and donors should direct their HIV prevention dollars elsewhere if they really want to reduce HIV infection among gay men.
Glenn, Toronto ON
01/03/13 9:23 PM EST
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