There’s no misunderstanding here, no gray area to debate over brunch or group chat threads. A man knew he was HIV positive—and then went on to rape and deliberately infect young men, some barely out of childhood.
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Adam Hall, 43, of Tyne and Wear, has now been jailed for life. He will serve a minimum of 23 years and 42 days. By the time he is eligible for parole, he will be 67.
He is only the second person in the UK ever found guilty of intentionally trying to spread HIV.
After a four-month trial at Newcastle crown court, Hall was found guilty of deliberately infecting seven males. Four of them were raped. One victim was just 15 years old. The others were in their late teens and early 20s—ages where everything still feels like a first, including trust.
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Authorities believe there may be more victims across England.
“I Was Just Looking for Someone to Love Me”
Hall didn’t operate in shadows that felt unfamiliar. He met victims in bars. On Grindr. In the same spaces where so many gay men look for connection, validation, or just someone who might feel like home for a night.
He targeted younger, sexually inexperienced men. One victim described himself as “vulnerable” and “easily manipulated” when he met Hall.
He said: “I think I was expecting him to take care of me. To have an awareness, and compassion. Really, I was just looking for salvation, for someone to love me.”
There’s something devastating about how ordinary that hope is.
The Moment Everything Changed
For one victim, the shift happened on a school day. He learned he was HIV positive as he got off the bus. No dramatic build-up. Just a life permanently divided into before and after. Another said he had been left “the shell of who I was.” Another, who was raped while asleep, said: “Because of HIV my family live in fear of me.”
These are not temporary wounds. They don’t fade when the trial ends or when the sentence is handed down.
“He’s Shown Absolutely No Remorse”
Detectives described Hall as “arrogant and dismissive” in interviews—a tone that never changed. DCI Emma Smith of Northumbria police said:
“He’s shown absolutely no remorse. He’s never apologised for his behaviour. We’ve interviewed him on a number of occasions and he provided a prepared statement via his legal representative and then no comment answers.”
She added that during the trial, “he actually suggested that some of the victims wanted him to pass HIV on to them, which absolutely was not the case.” Hall was, she said, a “callous, calculating sexual predator.”
Even at sentencing, he refused to leave his court cell. The judge, Edward Bindloss, said this was “entirely in keeping with the indifference you’ve shown to the suffering of others”.
A Life Sentence Doesn’t Reset a Life
The court heard that Hall had been diagnosed with HIV in 2010 and was on medication to manage his viral load. Between 2016 and 2023, he had unprotected sex without disclosing his status, sometimes through rape. His victims only discovered the truth after testing themselves.
One victim put it plainly: “The whole thing is so unfair, he knew he was infected, and he thought he could get away with infecting me. That he was immune from any consequences. He didn’t even give me the option to take any pre- or post-HIV exposure treatment.”
Another said: “Prior to Hall I had not been involved in a gay relationship. He was my first experience, and I had nothing to compare it to. I would describe myself as naive.
“Hall came into my life, and I have been left a shell of who I was.”
He continued: “It has been years since Hall has been in my life, but my life has never gone back to how it was before I met him. I am still a HIV+ male who has to take lifelong medication to remain well – and undetectable.”
The Aftermath Isn’t Just Medical: Living with HIV
Police believe Hall travelled across the country—including County Durham, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Manchester and London—to meet men. Investigators are urging anyone who may have had contact with him to come forward. Alice Wiseman, director of public health for Newcastle and Gateshead, said support is available.
“There is no judgment and your health and safety is our priority.”
That line matters. Because alongside the violence in this case is something else that still lingers: stigma. Not just from strangers, but sometimes from friends, family, entire communities. And maybe that’s the part that hits hardest.
Not just that someone could weaponize trust in this way—but that the people left behind are still navigating a world that doesn’t always know how to hold them with care.
If You Need Support
If you’re concerned about possible past exposure to HIV or want to get tested, support is available and confidential. In the UK, you can contact your local sexual health clinic (GUM clinic), or reach national services such as the NHS sexual health service finder.
For emotional support, especially if you’ve been affected by sexual violence or trauma, you can contact:
- Samaritans (UK & ROI) – 116 123 (free, 24/7) or samaritans.org
- Galop (LGBTQ+ anti-abuse charity, UK) – 0800 999 5428 or galop.org.uk
- Rape Crisis England & Wales – 0808 500 2222 or rapecrisis.org.uk
- Terrence Higgins Trust (HIV support & advice) – tht.org.uk
If you are outside the UK, local sexual health clinics and LGBTQ+ health organizations can also provide testing, treatment, and confidential support.
Source: The Guardian