Flint mayor’s campaign worker, a felon, arrested for grooming and raping a child with HIV.

Flint Man Charged with Grooming and Raping a Child with HIV

A shocking case has emerged from Flint, Michigan, where a man with HIV has been charged with grooming and raping a child with the intent to spread his potentially deadly infection. John Cole, who had previously been convicted of not telling partners about his HIV status before engaging in sex with them, was arrested by the Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team (GHOST) on charges of a dozen sexual crimes.

A Predator in the Community

Cole was known in the community as a volunteer for Democrat Mayor Sheldon Neeley’s campaign, but the mayor’s office has stated that he was never employed by the city or the campaign. According to Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, Cole used cunning tactics to befriend a minor at a community event in December 2022 before allegedly sexually assaulting the victim. Swanson called Cole a “groomer” and a “predator” who used his HIV status to infect his victims with a fatal disease.

Alleged Assaults and Text Messages

Cole allegedly assaulted the victim twice, once in February and again in March, and was only caught when the family of the victim came forward with the allegations. Swanson showed screenshots of text messages allegedly sent by Cole to the victim, offering money and gifts in exchange for sexual favors. The sheriff called Cole “one of the most vile” groomers he’s arrested in his nearly 40 years of being in law enforcement.

Political Association

Cole had previously volunteered for Mayor Neeley’s campaign and had presented himself as a close associate of the mayor to ingratiate himself with other community members. However, the mayor’s office has stated that Cole was only an incidental acquaintance and that they were focused on supporting the victims and raising awareness about how to protect vulnerable members of the community from these types of abuses.

Call for Victims to Come Forward

Sheriff Swanson has asked anyone who either had consensual sex with Cole or was victimized by his alleged grooming to come forward. He wants to help protect victims and hold Cole accountable for his actions.