Houston man who infected ex-girlfriend with HIV sentenced to 30 years in prison

Karim Zakikhani, 34, of Houston, has pleaded guilty to aggravated assault against a family member after he knowingly infected his ex-girlfriend with HIV. Karim Zakikhani, 34, of Houston, has pleaded guilty to aggravated assault against a family member after he knowingly infected his ex-girlfriend with HIV. Photo: Houston Police Department Photo: Houston Police Department Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Houston man who infected ex-girlfriend with HIV sentenced to 30 years in prison 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A Houston man who knowingly infected his ex-girlfriend with HIV after telling her he had no sexually transmitted diseases has been sentenced to 30 years in prison in a Wednedsay plea deal.

Karim Zakikhani, 34, admitted he had sex with his former girlfriend, even when he knew he had HIV, identified in Harris County court documents as a deadly weapon.

He pleaded guilty to aggravated assault against a family member causing serious bodily injury, a first-degree felony.

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Zakikhani and his former girlfriend met and began dating in September 2013, according to court documents.

The woman told investigators she requested they both take tests for sexually transmitted infections, and after her test came back negative, Zakikhani told her that his was also negative.

In April 2014, the woman began to experience symptoms of HIV, court records show. First she noticed frequent illnesses and a considerable drop in weight. She was hospitalized for pneumonia in May 2014.

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In September 2014, during treatment for an oral thrush infection discovered by a dentist, a doctor diagnosed her as HIV positive.

Medical records later showed that Zakikhani was diagnosed with HIV in March 2009, according to court records.

The criminal case against Zakikhani was filed in June 2016. He is currently being held in the Harris County Jail.