HIV-positive prostitute had sex with 211 men after learning she was infected, police say

An HIV-positive sex worker had sexual interactions with more than 200 clients in several states, police say, prompting a health warning.

Linda Inez Leccese was charged on May 14, 2024, with soliciting after testing positive for HIV, which is a third-degree felony, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

“This case could come from anywhere from Florida to the East Coast, but we will be contacting local individuals,” said Mark Warden, chief deputy of the Washington County Sheriff's Office in Ohio, during the press conference, as reported by The News and Sentinel.

“This investigation will continue and interviews will be conducted, again, to protect the health of the public and attempt to locate others who have been in contact with this individual.”

Warden said the investigation found that Ms Leccese continued to solicit work even after testing positive for HIV in 2022.

Now the Sheriff's Office and the Marietta Police Department are contacting at least 211 people who may have been in contact with her, based on numbers found on a phone she used to conduct business as as a sex worker.

“We want citizens to understand that there will be a deputy sheriff who will contact these people that we have numbers for,” Warden said. “They’re not in trouble, it’s a matter of public health awareness.” This is not a scam.

At the press conference, the Ministry of Health's director of nursing, Dianna Beck, told the audience that the problem of people coming into contact with HIV-positive sex workers could date back further than 2022, as It takes 18 to 90 days to detect HIV antibodies in a person's system.

Ms. Beck added that the incubation period for HIV is one to six weeks, so sometimes infected people do not know they are HIV positive. Symptoms may include a sore throat, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and other mononucleosis-like symptoms.

Marietta/Belpre Health Department Administrator Barbara Bradley was on hand at the news conference to answer questions and help those who think they may have been infected.

“For this particular case with the Sheriff's Department, we are asking that you and your family members be tested and call 740-373-0611 ext. 634…please tell the receptionist that you are on the sheriff’s case so they know where to direct your call to make an appointment or for more information,” she said.