FLINT (WWJ) -- During a Friday press conference, the Genesee County Sheriff's Office (GCSO) shared information about a suspect in custody -- a known adult and juvenile sexual predator with HIV -- in the hopes of identifying other victims and holding this man accountable.
55-year-old John Cole faces a dozen felony charges, not only for sexual assault of a minor, but for knowingly and intentionally attempting to infect his alleged victim with HIV.
Investigation by the GCSO revealed that Cole has a history of similar criminal behavior and has gone by the name "Johnny Peters" in the past.
According to Sheriff Chris Swanson, Cole involved himself in local organizations and events and spoke about issues facing young kids in the local community.
It was at one of these events in Dec. 2022, that the defendant connected with and befriended the family of a 15-year-old boy, bonding over supposedly having the same birthday as the teen.
Leveraging the friendship, Cole took the boy to a basketball game in Flint in Feb. 2023. During that outing, Cole allegedly detoured to a restaurant where he made aggressive advances toward the victim and assaulted the teen.
On March 1, 2023, Cole sexually assaulted the boy again, during a birthday celebration that included a meal at a local restaurant and a bowling alley.
Cole also texted his victim daily, offering money and gifts.
In April, the teen's family approached police, and the case was directed to the Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team (GHOST), overseen by GCSO.
Members of GHOST recognized Cole from a previous criminal case, when he was charged and convicted for knowingly infecting adult partners with HIV.
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In 2013, the Genesee County Health Department Director noticed an unexplained increase in the number of young men in the area testing positive for the virus. Further investigation traced the infections back to Cole -- who called himself "Johnny Peters" at the time. Cole knew he was HIV+ but did not inform his partners. He was eventually sentenced to seven years in prison.
Cole has been arrested and remains lodged in the Genesee County Jail. So far, he has been charged with twelve counts relating to sexual assault and intention to infect a juvenile with HIV. More charges may be filed in connection with this case or others.
Sheriff Swanson and GHOST believe Cole may have had other adult and juvenile victims and are asking that anyone who has had sexual contact with the defendant -- as John Cole, Johnny Peters or under any other name -- contact GCSO.
"We want to protect you," Swanson said. "We want to help you... and also hold him accountable."
Swanson also used the press conference as an opportunity to educate the community about tactics used by sexual predators, including:
-- Putting themselves in places/surroundings where they have easy access to potential victims
-- Finding something in common to bond over or form a quick connection (such as a birthday or basketball games)
-- Bonding with the victim's family
-- Messaging/texting consistently to maintain a connection
-- Offering attention, gifts, money, etc. to make their victim feel indebted to them
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