Man in HIV exposure case faces new charges

More charges have been filed against a Lawrence man accused of knowingly exposing women to HIV.

Assistant Dist. Atty. Trent Krug said in court Thursday that his office had filed a fourth HIV-exposure case in Douglas County District Court against Robert W. Richardson II, 29. It also was announced during the hearing that Richardson had a new criminal arrest warrant out of Emporia with a $50,000 bond.

Details of the Emporia case weren’t available Thursday. Lyon County Atty. Marc Goodman said he couldn’t legally discuss the case because the warrant hadn’t been served.

“That is a suspect whose name is known to us,” Goodman said. “I cannot go so far as to say it’s one of the same victims with another location or another victim.”

In addition to the Kansas cases, Richardson has an HIV-exposure case pending in Johnson County, Mo., that was filed last month. He was arrested on that case last week but later released from jail on $10,000 bond.

Cases against Richardson have been trickling in since the first Douglas County case was filed against him in March. All four Douglas County cases involve different victims.

Krug said more cases were being filed based on new information from women who are coming forward, not based on new incidents that are happening while Richardson is out on bond awaiting trial.

Richardson did not attend Thursday’s hearing. Judge Stephen Six raised his bond to $25,000 on each of the three previous cases filed in Douglas County.