Pinoy nurse with HIV charged for sex with minor in US

BERGENFIELD, NEW JERSEY — A 38-year-old Filipino registered nurse who is reportedly HIV-positive has been arrested and charged with having inappropriate sexual relations with a male juvenile acquaintance while knowing that he (the suspect) is infected with sexually transmitted disease. Authorities said Roland L. Densen, who is employed at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, was charged with sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child, and diseased person committing an act of sexual penetration. The sexual abuse occurred over approximately a two-month period, and the 14-year-old victim had disclosed the abuse to his parents, who immediately contacted authorities, according to Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli. The Bergenfield resident, who is single, was arrested on May 18 by members of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the Bergenfield Police Department following an investigation. He was formally charged with one count of sexual assault, a second-degree crime; one count of endangering the welfare of a child, a third-degree offense; and one count of diseased person committing an act of sexual penetration, a third-degree crime. The third charge is covered by a section under the New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice which says “a person is guilty of a crime of the third degree if he or she is infected with human immune deficiency virus (HIV) or any other related virus identified as a probable causative agent of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and commits an act of sexual penetration without the informed consent of the other person.” Superior Court Judge Donald Venezia set Densen’s bail at $75,000, with no 10 percent option and no contact with the victim. Densen was subsequently remanded to Bergen County Jail in lieu of bail. Maureen Parenta, a spokesperson for the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, told the Filipino Reporter Densen was released on June 8 after posting bail. Molinelli said the charges are “merely accusations” and that the defendant is “presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.” A friend who talked to the Filipino Reporter on condition of anonymity said Densen is a “dedicated” nurse who is “well-liked” by his colleagues. “We are still shocked by the allegations,” the friend said. “We’re hoping that he will be able to clear his name and get his life back.” — Filipino Reporter

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