Molester sentenced to prison for exposing wife to HIV

A convicted child molester from Camden, SC, was sentenced to 6 years prison and 4 years probation Thursday, November 12 for knowingly exposing his now ex-wife to HIV. Joel Lynn Bedenbaugh, 47, married the victim in 2002. DUring their five year marraige, Bedenbaugh told his victim (er, wife) that the drugs he was taking was for a rare condition that he had, not HIV. 

The indictment for these charges stemmed from an investigation into his medical history for an ongoing sexual abuse investigation involving an 11 year old girl. Aiken County Circuit Court Judge Paul Burch sentenced Bedenbaugh to sex offender registration to control his risk.

Bedenbaugh was convicted of having inappropriate contact with a 13-year-old girl in November 2006. He was sentenced to two years of probation after admitting to the relationship.

In addition to having taught at St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic School, Bedenbaugh had been an employee of the Aiken County School District and an employee at a Georgia school. He had also taught privately at his residence and served as an instructor with the Gateway summer arts enrichment program. The incidents alleged did not reportedly occur on any school property, according to officials.

According to state law, it is illegal for someone who knows he or she is infected with HIV to knowingly engage in sexual intercourse with another person without first informing that person of the HIV infection.

Under the law, it is also illegal for a person who knows he is infected to knowingly commit an act of prostitution with another person, knowingly sell or donate blood, blood products, semen, tissue, organs or other body fluids; forcibly engage in sexual intercourse without the consent of the other person, including one's legal spouse; knowingly share with another person a hypodermic needle, syringe or both for the introduction of drugs or any other substance into, or for the withdrawal of blood or body fluids from the other person's body without first informing that person that the needle, syringe or both has been used by someone infected with HIV.


Bedenbaugh faces three counts of 1st degree criminal sexual conduct with a child for the incident with the 11 year old girl.