Man sentenced to 25 years for knowingly spreading HIV

Author: Adam Wright
Published:

FORT MYERS, Fla. – A Lehigh Acres man accused of knowingly spreading HIV to multiple women will spend 25 years in prison.

A judge sentenced Tony Paulino, 57, Friday afternoon. Paulino plead no contest to the charges in November.

Paulino sat motionless in court as two of the women he infected while dating them took the stand to explain the effects his actions have had on their lives.

“I have been to the mental hospital two times because I tried to commit suicide,” testified one of the victims.

Paulino faced a maximum of 30 years in prison and a minimum of 21 months.

Before the judge handed down his decision, he asked Paulino, an army veteran, what he thought he deserved. Paulino suggested some time at the VA hospital.

Judge Bruce Kyle gave him 25 years in prison followed by 5 years of state probation.

“It’s a horrible, horrible thing, but I feel like today’s a great victory in all of our lives,” one of Paulino’s victims told WINK News.long fight –to find him.

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