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Walter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent—
A 45-year-old HIV-positive prostitute from Masvingo’s Mucheke suburb allegedly infected a boy, 6, with a sexually-transmitted disease (STD) after habitually forcing him to lick her private parts and have sex. Mercy Muchemwa, would on several occasions suck the boy’s manhood and demand that he does the same on her, a court heard.

Muchemwa – a close friend of the boy’s mother- would allegedly force the victim to have sex with her, saying she liked his “little boy energy.”

Masvingo senior regional magistrate, Judith Zuyu, heard how Muchemwa would buy the boy’s silence with cash ranging from $1 and $2 after each act of abuse.

The matter came to light when the boy was diagnosed with an advanced form of an STD, which was not specified in court.

Muchemwa was not asked to plead to a charge of aggravated indecent assault on her initial appearance on Friday.

The magistrate remanded her in custody to June 24 for trial.

Prosecuting, Mukai Mutumhe said the woman would get intimate with the boy at a house in Mucheke Suburb.

He said the matter came to light after the boy had gone to his rural home in Chirumanzi.

“Muchemwa and the boy’s mother, who is now based in South Africa, are friends,” said Mutumhe.

“The matter came to light last week on Wednesday while the boy was in his rural home in Chirumanzi. He fell sick and was taken to the clinic where he was diagnosed with an advanced STI.”

Mutumhe said after he was asked who had infected him, the boy implicated his mother’s friend, a well-known Mucheke commercial sex worker.

“Muchemwa is certified HIV positive,” said the prosecutor.

The court heard how the woman would call the toddler to her house, fondle him and suck his manhood before forcing him into having sex with her.

The boy also revealed that Muchemwa would force him to lick her private parts before helping him to go on top of her for unprotected sex.

After the boy narrated what had happened to him, a formal report was made to Chikato Police leading to the Muchemwa’s arrest.