Daryll Rowe is the Scottish hairdresser and former Blake Mason model who was sentenced to life in prison after attempting to expose several unsuspecting men to the HIV virus. Now, he’s the subject of his very own documentary, and he says he’s really sorry about everything.
Quick recap: Rowe first tested positive for HIV in April 2015. Between October that year and February 2016, he created several Grindr aliases to meet men.
Prior to hooking up with them, he was accused of tampering with the condoms in an alleged attempt to expose his partners to HIV in hopes of passing it along to them.
He would then send them cruel messages. One of the messages read: “Maybe you have the fever cos I came inside you and I have HIV, lol. Whoops!”
How about we take this to the next level?
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Five of Rowe’s partners ended up testing positive for the virus.
The story received international attention and undermined some efforts to end the stigma of HIV.
In a new BBC documentary with the unfortunate title The Man Who Used HIV As A Weapon, Rowe speaks from prison about his crusade to expose as many people as possible to the virus for the very first time.
“I would like to say to the men in Scotland and in England that I am really sorry for my behavior,” he tells an interviewer by phone, “for being so naive and so reckless.”
“The main thing is that I hope that they can forgive me one day and they can try and live a happy life and put this behind them.”
During his trial, Rowe told jurors he believed he had cured himself of the virus by drinking his own urine, which he supplemented with natural remedies that included oregano, coconut, and olive leaf oils.
“I had in my mind I was going to cure myself with this urine therapy,” Rowe said, “that I almost used that as an excuse in my head for continuing have unprotected sex.”
“I thought in my mind that this must really be blocking it. I completely hold up hands for doing that, to not using a condom even when I was asked to.”
“In a high emotional state I definitely used it as a weapon to get a reaction from them which was really immature.”
The Man Who Used HIV As A Weapon airs later this month and also features several of Rowe’s victims, many of whom are speaking publicly for the first time.
Related: Adult site pulls all videos of Daryll Rowe after he’s convicted of gay sex crimes
Jared MacBride
So he is sorry for being “naive and reckless.” I’m sure this makes the people he infected feel much better.
DCguy
He wasn’t naive, if you read the papers at the time, he sent texts mocking several of his victims, laughing that he was “Riddled with HIV” and they should get tested. The guy can pretend, but he was a monster.
QueerTruth
I regret reading this. No offense to the writer but why on earth are we giving this grotesque criminal a mic? Leave him where he is. Please don’t glamorize his behavior or justice being served. Let’s forget him entirely.
Kangol
This sounds like former college wrestler Michael Johnson’s story, only worse; this Scottish guy was actively and intentionally trying to infect his sex partners with HIV and seemed to take pleasure in doing so. He actually “Whoops” to one guy–WTF???
He also appears to have been delusional in thinking a “urine therapy” could possibly cure HIV, but then again, I don’t really believe he thought this, it just sounds like an excuse to get off on mental health grounds.
Let’s see if the condemnation of him rises to the same level it did with with Johnson.
QueerTruth
You’re late. This is an old story. And yes, people were much more outraged than Johnson’s story. This monster did it with the hope and intention that he would infect people. He did. He also tormented men with his status after they had sex. He’s definitely a sick monster.
This guy earned his life time prison sentence.
QueerTruth
And Queerty – can you please show his prison mug shot? Not his social media profile pic. He’s a criminal and should be treated like one.
sweetnovember
So really looks are not everything. He may be good looking from the outside but he is ugly and monster inside.
Vince
He’s a worst case scenario. Allot of gay men will throw caution out the window when it comes to hotties like this.
Vince
Actually I take that back. He’s a dream for the holy righteous shaming crowd. Finally they have a mascot to point to. See what we’ve been yelling at you for years? It happened!
fur_hunter
No sympathy here. He can eat $H!T and die for all I’m concerned.
winemaker
Really sad! This bastard’s lucky he didn’t get the death penalty. Maybe life in prison in solitary confinement will give him time to think things over. it all boils down to this: you can’t trust anyone these days regarding HIV. Sad to say this is what you just may get hooking up with casual sexual encounters you’ve just met
CobraPowers
In California it is no longer a crime to knowingly infect someone with HIV, and thus there’s been a huge rise in venereal disease cases. That’s what leftist policies do to the LGBT community.
martin_erickson
What? No. I’m on the left, politically and theologically, if by “left” you mean Progressive. The man’s behavior was unethical, immoral, and ought to be illegal. Your conflation of politics and criminality doesn’t make sense, IMHO.
sydboy007
@Martin_ericson a lot of people didn’t sort the legislative changes in California, but it was pretty unanimous support from most gay and lesbian – over 130 community organisations cosponsored the measure.
Some will argue if your Hiv+ on need with undetectable viral load then there’s no risk, and that seems to be the case.
What is wrong is someone can behave just like Daryl Rowe and intentionally do their best to infect others with minimal legal consequences
dwes09
Actually, this is one situation where the mindless and poorly conceived mantra of the libertarian: “personal responsability”, makes sense.
Leftist policies encourage clear and widespread education about how to protect yourself. The regressive policies you likely support involve keeping ones mouth shut and saying “it serves them right” when people get STIs or unwanted pregnancies.
Few here are dull enough to fall for your disingenuous and false comment!
winemaker
To the leftists, liberals democrats, progressives, the gay community along with the Latinos and black community are nothing but pawns, to be given lip service and nothing much more all to get their votes. Anyone don’t believe this, take a look at San Francisco a city with a very large gay community that under the progressives, liberals or democrats has become a dirty overpriced third world CRAPHOLE due to streets that reek like toilets with garbage, used condoms, dirty needles, piss and pies of feces.
Vince
Yes because the redneck I mean red states are such paradise for people compared to the blue states. Lol
Vince
@dwes09. In the states (usually red) that do make it a crime the only thing it accomplishes is driving it underground. They usually ban any education in schools as well. Pushing against the leftist agenda as they see it.
CobraPowers
@Vince – Not paradise but at least not a public toilet at nearly $4000 a month for a 1/1 apartment. That’s why 250,000 Californians have moved to Texas in recent years.
Doug
I can only hope this guy spends the rest of his life behind bars.
surreal33
Intentionally and with premeditation exposing a person to HIV is MURDER. He should have been put to DEATH!!!
Vince
Since you could die from other diseases such as HPV and Hepatitis why not apply the death penalty to your hysterical list too?
surreal33
Vince you are an institution.
iamru2
Rot in hell you nasty skank!
DCguy
Hey Queerty, just a quick point. You said….
“model who was sentenced to life in prison after attempting to expose several unsuspecting men to the HIV virus”.
——-
He didn’t “Attempt to expose”. He DID expose, 5 of his victims tested positive after. Also, you continue to use the word “Allegedly” but not only did he confessed, he was convicted, meaning the crimes are not “Alleged”, they are printable fact.