Pierce Cotton (Pensacola Police Department/Facebook)
A Florida police officer is charged with not disclosing his HIV status to a woman he got pregnant, which is a felony. The cop tried to tell the woman "I can't transmit it" and "you and the baby can't get it," according to court documents.
"I'm sick," Pensacola police officer Pierce Cotton told the pregnant woman, according to his arrest report. Another mother that he had a child with in a previous relationship had reached out to the woman and told her she was "concerned" for her health, according to the report.
"It's under control, and that's been proven," Cotton allegedly texted her. "You can't contract it."
The arrest report says the woman replied, "Sick with what?"
"I'll preface it with this then: I can't transmit it," Cotton allegedly said. "You don't have it, since you've already been tested for it. … I made sure I was safe so as to keep you from getting it. You and the baby can't get it from me."
The arrest report says Cotton and the woman, who is an employee with the Pensacola Police Department, began dating in October 2025. He was allegedly still living with the other mother at the time, but claimed they weren't in a relationship and that he was only staying with her for the time being.
The other mother contacted the woman after finding out she was pregnant and said she found medication in Cotton's personal belongings that was alarming, according to the arrest report.
"The female told her that she was concerned for [the victim] and the unborn child's health and that should get tested," the report says. "She initially would not tell why the female was concerned for her health."
The victim allegedly came forward and contacted police after speaking to Cotton, which led investigators to obtain Cotton's medical records and discover a prior lab report.
"The lab report indicated that it was a test for [HIV] and a serum specimen was collected from a vein on July 11, 2025," the report explains. "The results date is July 15, 2025. The lab indicated that it was a positive result."
The Pensacola Police Department charged Cotton and placed him on administrative leave, with an internal affairs investigation underway.
Cotton was released on a $10,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned in April.
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