Karim Zakikhani
Karim Zakikhani
Karim Zakikhani in court [1]
Karim "Tyson" Zakikhani is a convicted felon residing in Houston, Texas.
In June 2018 he was sentenced to 30 years in prison after knowingly infecting his ex-girlfriend, Sarita Anderson, with HIV.
According to Anderson eight other women came forward, stating he had infected them with HIV as well, however she was the only victim named in the case.
Criminal History
KPRC-TV: Man sentenced for intentionally infecting woman with HIV
On Wednesday, June 20, 2018 Karim Zakikhani was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to knowingly giving HIV to his former girlfriend, Sarita Anderson, who he had a son with.
The charge he pleaded guilty to, aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury, is a first-degree felony.
His ex-girlfriend, Sarita Anderson told the court how life has changed since her diagnosis.
"I call it my tragedy, the testimony, how I had to dig myself out of that hole and basically, I feel like the old me died, but I worked real hard to rebirth a new person and I feel like that person is better.
You don't know how strong you can be, until you have no choice but to be strong," Anderson said.
Anderson said at least eight other women have come forward, stating he had infected them with HIV as well, however, she was the only victim named in this case.
Anderson and Zakikhani began dating in September 2013 after becoming friends at a hospital where they both worked in security.
Fearing sexually transmitted diseases, the woman asked Zakikhani to get tested in December 2013 before they could have unprotected sex together.
She agreed to get a medical exam at the time, too, according to the criminal complaint.
The woman told Zakikhani that her results were negative.
He told her the same, according to the complaint.
When Anderson began HIV treatments, she also found that Zakikhani had actually been married during their relationship.
After tracking down his wife, the woman spoke to her and learned Zakikhani’s wife was also HIV positive — and Zakikhani had transmitted the virus to his wife years earlier, in 2009.
Zakikhani’s wife confirmed that her husband had known he was HIV positive all along.
Medical records revealed that Zakikhani was diagnosed with HIV in March 2008, according to the criminal complaint.