An HIV-positive track coach accused of sexual assault faces 119 counts, 1,500-year sentence

A high school track coach and middle school teacher’s aide is accused of sexually assaulting at least 24 victims—all while testing positive for HIV and not using protection.

Now Carlos Deangelo Bell, 30, faces 119 criminal charges, with a possible maximum sentence of more than 1,500 years in prison, according to Fox 5 DC.

Authorities were alerted to Bell’s alleged activity after a parent found explicit messages on her son’s phone, the Washington Post reported.

Bell started working for Charles County schools in Maryland in September 2014 as an instructional assistant for J.P. Ryon Elementary.

In 2015, he began working for Benjamin Stoddert Middle School and was an indoor track coach at Maurice J. McDonough High School until December 2016, the Washington Post reported.

Bell allegedly recorded some of the abuse of male students, whose ages ranged from sixth to eighth grade. Some of the recorded assaults were filmed in classrooms, according to WTOP Radio.

Bell was arrested in June after being indicted on assault and child pornography charges, WTOP Radio reported. After his arrest, he told law enforcement that he was HIV positive.

Charles County State’s Attorney Tony Covington told WTOP Radio that 11 of the victims have not yet been identified.

“We still need help from the public,” Covington said. “We still need to people who know something about this case to contact the sheriff’s office.”

So far, two students have been tested for HIV and they’ve both had negative results, WTOP Radio reported.

On Monday, one of Bell’s attorney, Jeffrey Griffith, told reporters that Bell is “looking forward to his day in court to fight these allegations,” according to the Washington Post.

Bell is accused of committing the following crimes from May 2015 to June 2017, according to Fox5 DC:

• 12 counts of child sexual abuse (each count carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison)
• 38 counts of second-degree sex offense (each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison)
• 2 counts of third-degree sex offense (each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison)
• 2 counts of second-degree assault (each count carries a maximum sentence 10 years in prison)
• 44 counts of filming child pornography (each count carries a maximum sentence 10 years in prison)
• 2 counts of solicitation of a minor (each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison)
• 5 counts displaying obscene matter to a minor (each count carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison)
• 3 counts of transmitting or attempting to transmit HIV virus to another (each count carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison)
• 5 counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor (each count carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison)
• Distribution of marijuana (carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison)

This story was originally published August 2, 2017 at 8:20 PM with the headline "An HIV-positive track coach accused of sexual assault faces 119 counts, 1,500-year sentence."