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Man Pleads Not Guilty To 15 Latest HIV Charges

Perkins Faces June Trial

POSTED: 11:06 am EDT March 25, 2010
UPDATED: 12:47 pm EDT March 25, 2010

A man who police said had unprotected sex with numerous women and didn't inform them that he has HIV pleaded not guilty Thursday to 15 charges.

In February, Tony Perkins, 47, of Greenwood, pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to warn sexual partners that he has HIV.

Slideshow: Police: Man Intentionally Spread HIV

The additional charges were brought after many more women came forward, claiming they had sexual relations with Perkins and that he didn't disclose his HIV status.

Last week, a judge refused to allow Perkins to plead guilty to the additional 15 counts because he wasn't being represented by an attorney and prosecutors didn't want to risk having the cases thrown out.

Three women who came forward in the Perkins case were in court Thursday. One of them referred to Perkins as a serial killer who knew what he was doing, 6News' Stacia Matthews reported.

Pre-trial hearings were set for May 12 and June 9, with a jury trial set for June 29.

"I'm devastated," said one of the women. "I can't believe they just let him plead not guilty."

"I'm just shocked, shell shocked he would drag these other victims, not just me, but the other victims through a jury trial," one woman said.

One of the women said she found out about Perkins on TV when the story first broke.

In previous court appearances, Perkins admitted he hadn't disclosed his HIV status and said that he wants to die.

"He had a loaded weapon, and it was very deadly," one woman said. "Half the people don't even know if they've got the death sentence yet. It takes one year of testing ... Yeah, I'm calling him a serial killer."

More charges could be filed against Perkins in surrounding counties. Authorities said he may have had sex with more than 100 women in the five years since his diagnosis.

Watch 6News and refresh this page for updates.

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