A man has been jailed for life after deliberately infecting multiple victims with HIV in what prosecutors described as a sustained campaign of abuse.
Adam Hall, 43, from Washington near Sunderland, received a life sentence with a minimum term of 23 years after being convicted of offences committed between 2016 and 2023.
Newcastle Crown Court heard Hall infected seven victims, including two boys aged 15 and 17, while also being convicted of raping four of them.
Prosecutors said Hall knowingly failed to take medication that would have reduced the risk of transmission and falsely claimed to partners that he was managing his condition.
Kama Melly KC told the court Hall had carried out a “campaign of rape” and deliberately sought to inflict HIV on his victims.
The court heard he targeted vulnerable men he met online and in bars, engaging in high-risk sexual activity while concealing his condition.
Health professionals had raised repeated concerns about his behaviour following his HIV diagnosis in 2010 and warned him of the risks he posed to others.
Judge Edward Bindloss described Hall as “selfish” and said he had taken away the futures of his victims.
Victims told the court they had been left with lifelong trauma and a permanent medical condition requiring ongoing treatment.
Prosecutors said the impact of the offences would continue, with victims reminded daily of what had happened to them through their medication.
Northumbria Police confirmed further individuals have come forward since the conviction, and an additional investigation is ongoing.