Picture30 year old Keith “Keyoko” Sumlin (pictured) was arrested in Florida and charged with with attempted second-degree murder and criminal transmission of the AIDS virus, along with additional charges involving sex with a 15-year-old boy. From the police reports both the victim and Sumlin lied about their ages to each other before having unprotected sex.

According to Pembroke Pines, Florida police department reports, the teen learned of Sumlin’s HIV status after he discussed their sexual encounter with a friend.  The victim met Sumlin via a mobile phone app and invited him to his home where they had sex.  The friend informed the teen that Sumlin was HIV positive and had secret videos on a Facebook page that showed him having unprotected sex with other underage boys.

Shocked by this news the victim told his mother who got him tested and discovered the teen was HIV positive.  This information is what led to Mr. Sumlin’s arrest.  Police believe there are other victims and encourage them to call Pembroke Pines police at 954-436-3200.

Since the news broke, Sumlin’s Facebook page has been filled with love, prayers and support from friends and family


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I was once 15 years old.  I had sex with girls my own age, drank alcohol, skipped school, and committed theft.  I also was arrested and went to jail.  At 15, I would not have dreamed of inviting a unknown adult man or woman into my home (where my family lives) to have sex. 

From a young age most of us are taught that if you are home alone and you answer the phone, you don’t let the person on the other end know you are home by yourself.  Also if you are home alone you don’t answer or open the door for strangers.

I remember lying at 15 telling girls I was 16, but lying on a mobile phone app to adult male strangers across the internet telling them I am a legal consenting adult seeking sex, goes into a more serious and dangerous realm.

This story is terrifying to me.  Not because of the sick sexual HIV spreading predators that are lurking in our mist, but because of what is going on in the minds of our young homosexual or bisexual black boys that the actions that lead up to this particular situation are becoming normal.

In this story, both of the young boys knew of the same man. I’m sure both knew of the mobile phone app in which they uploaded profiles and chatted or solicited sex with older men. One knew of an online forum where an adult male was posting videos having unprotected sex with underage boys.

For the two young boys in question, were did the source or the knowledge come from to find this particular video forum and mobile phone app?  Also according to the police report, there are videos of other underage teenage boys having unprotected sex with this one particular man? 

What was the method used and how did the other young boys in the videos get in contact with Sumlin and what lead to them having video-taped unprotected sex?  This also means there are other young boys out there who may be HIV positive and could be having unprotected sex with others right now.


All of this also reminds me of the CDC report advising that new HIV infections occurred among young black bi/homosexual men (between the ages of 13 – 29) than any other age and racial group of bi/homosexual men in 2009.

In addition, new HIV infections among young black bi/homosexual men increased by 48% from 2006–2009. 

Could this be a window into how young black boys between 13 to 17 years of age are becoming infected? 

Do we need to have a different type of educational outreach program specifically for this group? Obviously the parents of both boys (and perhaps all the other boys as well) were not and are not checking their sons phones or computers.  Which also leads me to think neither had any parental blocks or parental protection on any devices. 

The reports don’t mention anything about the boy’s father.  It says he told his mother and the mother called the police.  Is she a single parent and are there any positive male influences around?

Was this young boy seeking male companionship, attempting to use sex to fill a void, or just looking to get a raw nut and if so why?

Why are we not more concerned and protective of our young black homosexual boys?  Why do some older homosexual men like Mr. Sumlin view them as sexual conquests to be made victims?

At any rate, now this family has new challenges.  From speaking with police and lawyers.  Having to sit through a trial for the defendant.  Going through counseling and therapy.  Education on HIV and viral maintenance from doctors and nurses.  The costly (per month) HIV medications, etc.

Outside of wearing a condom, were there any other ways this could have been prevented?


PictureThis type of irresponsibility and self destructive behavior happens within all ages, sexes, races and classes. 

Many adults conduct themselves the same way with the same tragic results. 

One recent example was the arrest of the married Georgia pastor Craig Davis who spread HIV to females in the church congregation.


Another recent example happened in Dallas, Texas. Larry Dunn Jr was arrested and confessed to the stabbing death of Cicely Bolden (single mother of two) because one afternoon she waited until right after they had sex to tell him that she was HIV positive. He stated “She killed me. I killed her.”

Dunn also stated “So you think you just gonna give me HIV and then kick me to the curb? That’s not how this is about to happen and … I just took it there and she’s no longer alive.” The father of Ms. Bolden’s son stated that she has had HIV for a couple of years but did not know how she contracted it.

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That’s right.  A single mother potentially infected her boyfriend with HIV on purpose.  As a result of her actions and non-disclosure, her two children no longer have a mother. 

It also makes me think, what kind of behavior was this mother instilling in her two children? Dunn says the two had been having unprotected sexual relations for about a month after meeting on a chat line, when she broke the news about her HIV status.

He says he thought she was healthy because she was fit and attractive and was stunned she kept the virus a secret. “If you know, how could you not tell someone? That is just cold-blooded.” 

By the way, Larry Dunn was cheating on his wife.  He is married and also has children.

Who you are right now is the result of your past thoughts and actions.  What past thoughts influenced the actions for these people to be dishonest and not disclose their HIV status to their sexual partners? 

What past thoughts influenced the recipients’ actions to willingly allow themselves to be put in harm’s way to contract HIV?  

We go to school to become educated.  We get taught how to read and write.  We go to college to get specialized degrees and are taught to become engineers, doctors, and lawyers.  But who teaches us how to be people?  Who teaches us how to love ourselves, respect ourselves and have confidence in ourselves so we will not put ourselves in harm’s way through poor choices and irresponsible actions?  

Regardless of age, it takes more than condoms to prevent the transmission of HIV. 

It takes the changing of mind sets.