Michigan: Hoax Video Seen as "Public Service"

A woman who posted online a video claiming to have infected 500 Detroit men with HIV now says her action was a hoax designed to encourage testing for the virus.

"If it scared people, my apologies for scaring them," Jackie Braxton said. "I wanted them to know -- one night of pleasure could lead to a life full of pain. Hopefully, it will serve as a public service."

In the video, Braxton reads from a list of people she said she had infected with HIV and herpes. "You're all going to die," Braxton said in the clip, which was viewed by hundreds of thousands of people.

Health authorities report that walk-in traffic at the city's HIV testing clinics was up by 45 percent as of Friday afternoon, while police and health departments fielded calls from worried citizens.

Although Braxton hid her face in the video, police identified her and picked her up Friday at a college where she said she is studying health administration. Braxton agreed to take an HIV test, the results of which showed she is not infected.

Law enforcement officials and legal experts said they are unsure whether Braxton can or will be charged with a crime. "Our folks are looking at various state laws that might apply to a situation like this," said John Roach, a spokesperson for the police department. "I don't see a crime," said Richard Krisciunas, a University of Detroit Mercy Law School professor and a former Wayne County prosecutor.

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