Rapist sentenced to life for infecting victims with HIV

Adam Hall, a 43-year-old sex shop worker from Washington, Tyne and Wear, has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 23 years and 42 days for deliberately infecting seven men with HIV. The offenses, which occurred between 2016 and 2023, included five counts of rape and seven counts of causing grievous bodily harm by transmitting the virus. Hall targeted vulnerable individuals, including two boys aged 15 and 17, after meeting them in bars or through the dating app Grindr. He hid his HIV status, failed to take medication to reduce his viral load, and engaged in unprotected sex, sometimes raping his victims. One victim, who was 15 at the time, described the moment he learned of his diagnosis as 'everything shattered' after receiving a call from a sexual health nurse while walking home from school. Hall denied the charges, even claiming some victims wanted to be infected. Judge Edward Bindloss described Hall as 'dangerous' and 'selfish,' noting that he had taken away the futures of his victims. Northumbria Police confirmed that more potential victims have come forward, and an ongoing investigation is underway.