Former pastor of Full Gospel Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, Minister Craig Lamar Davis has been sentenced to 10 years in prison,after being convicted just one month ago of knowingly exposing female congregates to the HIV virus. He learned he was HIV positive back in 2005, was charged with two counts of reckless HIV.
Lamar Davis was accused and charged with carrying on 2 extramarital affairs while knowingly exposing them to the HIV virus. One of his accusers, who allegedly remained celibate for 15 years prior to sleeping with the minister, tested positive for the deadly virus, while his second accuser, Ronita McAfee, tested negative. Davis, however, denies ever sleeping with McAfee.
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During the sentencing McAfee said in the courtroom hearing,“My smiles are empty. My laughs are empty. My hellos are empty. My hugs, kisses and touches are empty.”
On Friday, McAfee told the court the case has deeply affected her and her family. She said she became “depressed and immobile” after learning about Davis's HIV status. She said she became so distraught that her oldest daughter became a surrogate mother to her two younger siblings because of her depression. Her youngest child continues to have psychological problems because, McAfee said, "she was too distraught to properly care for her". McAfee also said she was unable to graduate from college in 2012 because of her inability to focus on anything else but the case. Although McAfee was not tested positive for HIV, she said she is still treated as though she has it. For example, she said she cannot reach over and sample food off of the plates of family members and friends.All of this could have been avoided, McAfee said, had Davis alerted her to his HIV status. “He could have sent a text, left his (HIV) medicine out for me to see it, left me a sticky note,” she said in court. “If Mr. Davis had done so in the beginning, I would not have had sex with him at all.”
Lamar Davis also took the stand, where he begged for mercy.
“I take full responsibility for everything that has gone on,” said the former pastor. “My heart truly goes out to her [unnamed victim’s] daughters. Very bad decision and I opened the door for a lot of people to be hurt.”
“This has been an ongoing nightmare,” McAfee told Fox after sentencing. “I’ve woken up out of my sleep with anxiety, uncontrollable shakes, thinking that I was HIV positive.”
Needless to we need to make sure we protect ourselves. We can take charge of our lives, this didnt have to happen.
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