33 HIV+Gay Man Denied Bail for having Undisclosed Sex with 16 yr Old
Elliott Youden emerges from the Elgin Street courthouse on June 4 after
he was acquitted of a charge of aggravated sexual assault in regard to
whether he disclosed his HIV-positive status prior to a sexual encounter in July 2010
A gay activist arrested again on charges he did not disclose his HIV-positive status to a 16-year-old sexual partner was denied bail on Wednesday.
Elliott Youden, 33, appeared in court charged with aggravated sexual assault and extortion. There is a publication ban on evidence heard at the bail hearing.
In the latest case, police were called to Youden’s apartment on St. Patrick Street on Sunday night just after 9:30 by a 16-year-old boy. Police allege the teen was sexually assaulted and extorted. Court records show that police believe Youden tried to extort $500 from the boy and that the recent charges relate to the time between Sept. 1 and Sept. 27.
Police have said they believe there could be other alleged victims and were encouraging anyone with information to come forward.
Youden was acquitted of aggravated sexual assault in June after police had charged him in a July 2010 incident in which a Carleton University student alleged that Youden, a Department of National Defence employee at the time, kept his HIV status a secret before the two engaged in unprotected consensual sex at Youden’s apartment.
Youden, however, said the sex was safe and alleged that the complainant in that case had tried to extort $300 from him. A jury trial that began in January of this year ended in a mistrial.
In a new trial by judge alone, Ontario Superior Court Justice Monique Metivier rendered the acquittal, saying she couldn’t rely on the evidence of either the accused or the student and that the Crown had failed to convince her beyond a reasonable doubt that Youden was guilty.
In a 2012 interview with Daily Xtra, an LGBTQ website, Youden, as a member of Legalize AIDS and Queer Ottawa, defended the actions of HIV-positive Steven Boone, a self-described “poz vampire” who wanted to spread the virus and was convicted of three counts of attempted murder for failing to disclose his diagnosis.
Youden said he believed Boone got caught up in the virus-chasing subculture.
“While he may have been enamoured with risky sex, I don’t think he ever wanted to murder somebody,” Youden said.
Boone remains in custody and faces the possibility of a long-term offender designation.
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