MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis man is behind bars, charged with statutory rape and passing HIV to a teenage girl.
Sekarris Bell was in jail Friday on a $50,000 bond.
According to an affidavit, the teenage victim was sneaking 22-year old Bell into a house while she was babysitting for relatives in 2017. The two slept together.
She later found out she had HIV. Records show Bell first tested positive in 2014.
A neighbor of Bell said he doesn’t think the man was intentionally trying to pass HIV to anyone and initially thought it was a hoax when law enforcement told him what Bell was accused of.
“The sheriff came over here. I guess they hadn’t caught up with him yet. They knocked on the door and said, ‘You know what you neighbor is wanted for?'”
The neighbor said Bell is like his little brother. He feels bad for both parties.