Sexual predator who intentionally contaminated weak males with HIV learns his destiny

Adam Hall, 43, was convicted of five counts of rape and seven counts of GBH with intent after deliberately infecting vulnerable men with HIV between 2016 and 2023. He ‘set out to infect as many as he could’

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Sexual offender Adam Hall has been imprisoned after intentionally infecting vulnerable men with HIV.

The 43-year-old was sentenced for five counts of rape and seven counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent through the deliberate transmission of the HIV virus, and police are urging anyone who may have had sexual relations with Hall to step forward.

Hall, of Washington, Tyne and Wear, was transported from HMP Durham but refused to attend Newcastle Crown Court in person.

Sentencing Hall to life as if he were in court, with a minimum term of 23 years and 42 days, His Honour Judge Edward Bindloss said Hall was guilty of 22 counts over seven years.

The judge added that Hall would be 67 years old before he could apply for parole, at which point the Parole Board could judge his dangerousness and determine any orders which should be put in place.

Judge Bindloss said: “I invited you to attend remotely and you refused that as well. Your refusal to attend today is entirely in keeping with the indifference you have shown to the suffering of others. You were convicted of seven counts of GBH. You knew you had been HIV positive since 2010 and put partners at risk without condoms.

“The evidence was clear and the jury verdicts were consistent: you did not take drugs and made the virus transmissible. You lied to your sexual partners, misled them, and failed to inform them afterward. It is a pattern of behaviour that operated over six to seven years.

“The facts of this case make the life sentence justifiable. This is a high culpability case because you risked the transfer of HIV.”

Hall was also convicted of supplying a controlled drug (GHB) and failing to cooperate with a police investigation by refusing to provide his phone’s password. The offences pertain to seven victim-survivors, between 2016 and 2023. Hall is only the second individual in the UK to be found guilty of intentional transmission of HIV.

He was diagnosed with HIV in 2010 and took medication to suppress his viral load. However, in 2016, healthcare professionals grew worried that he was not adhering to his treatment, making him infectious to others he slept with. Despite being cautioned, Hall had unprotected sex with men between 2016 and 2023, in some instances raping them.

The Crown Prosecution Service stated that Hall failed to disclose his HIV status to these men and his victims only discovered their own status after undergoing tests themselves. He was found guilty of raping four men and deliberately infecting three more.

Hall journeyed from his residence in Donvale Road, Washington, Tyne and Wear to meet men in London, Manchester, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, County Durham, and Middlesbrough. His youngest victim was merely 15 years old.

Blood samples were required from victims and matched against Hall’s blood to establish the HIV transmission allegations. Arrogant and showing no remorse during police questioning, he refuted the charges and shamelessly pointed the finger at his victims in court.

Det Chief Inspector Emma Smith, who spearheaded the ‘complex’ inquiry into Hall, praised the bravery and dignity shown by the victims in securing Hall’s conviction and safeguarding numerous potential victims from danger. It quickly emerged that Hall’s intention was to “infect as many people as he could”, according to DCI Smith.

“All of the men were young, aged from 15 to their late 20s,” she said. “Hall consistently failed to comply with his treatment regimen. He did not tell them of his status and had unprotected sex with them, raping some of the victims.

“He was arrested in 2023 for breaching his interim sexual risk order and for one of the HIV transmissions, and has remained in custody ever since. He had a history of targeting young vulnerable men, particularly those inexperienced sexually, men who had not had a same sex experience before. A power imbalance was part of the dynamic in these relationships. We believe that he deliberately set out to infect others with HIV.”

Northumbria Police are now probing additional allegations against Hall. DCI Smith stated: “We believe there are a number of men who have yet to be identified. He met people online through dating apps. Since you do not have to provide your true identity on those, finding them is really difficult.

“But we believe he had contact with other men. He has travelled across County Durham, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Manchester and London. He has shown absolutely no remorse and has never apologised for his behaviour. We interviewed him on a number of occasions, he gave prepared statements and offered no comment therein.

“He was arrogant and dismissive and that continued during the trial. In his live court testimony, he again showed no remorse and suggested that some of the victims wanted him to pass HIV to them which is absolutely not the case. He bragged that the police investigation was going nowhere, maintaining that attitude and dismissing it. He was well known in the Newcastle gay scene and there is evidence he was involved in chemsex.

“He was travelling predominantly to meet other men. The evidence of his travel came from the apps. They can benefit many people, but I caution younger individuals who may lack experience meeting people online. We want to encourage anyone who thinks they have been victim of a criminal offence to come forward.

“We would really encourage people to contact Northumbria Police via their website and seek advice from local sexual health services.”

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