A dangerous sexual predator, Adam Hall, has been sentenced to life in prison for deliberately infecting vulnerable men with HIV. The 43-year-old was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 23 years and 42 days, accounting for 323 days already spent on remand. He was convicted of 22 counts, including five counts of rape and seven counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent through the intentional transmission of HIV.
Hall was also found guilty of supplying a controlled drug (GHB) and failing to comply with a police investigation by refusing to provide his phone's password. The offences involved seven victim-survivors and took place between 2016 and 2023. Detectives described how the former sex shop worker spent seven years on a campaign to infect as many sexual partners as possible, traveling across the country to meet men through the Grindr app. His youngest victim was just 15 years old and learned of his HIV diagnosis while getting off the school bus.
Only second UK conviction for intentional HIV transmission
Hall is only the second person in the UK to be convicted of intentional transmission of HIV. He was diagnosed with HIV in 2010 and initially took medication to keep his viral load down. However, in 2016, medical professionals became concerned that he was not adhering to his treatment, making him infectious to others. Despite being warned, Hall continued to have unprotected sex with men between 2016 and 2023, in some cases raping them. He will be 67 before he can apply for parole and must sign the sex offenders register for life.
Judge condemns Hall's actions
His Honour Judge Edward Bindloss, who described Hall as dangerous, addressed him in court as if he were present: You targeted young men and deliberately infected them with HIV. You knew you had been HIV positive since 2010 and you deliberately chose not to take anti-viral drugs. You were interested in your pleasure only. You acted selfishly and you were using them for your sexual purposes. Several victims were vulnerable teenagers who carried the weight and trauma of shame and had their futures taken from them.
Hall raped four of the men he infected with HIV, a pattern of behavior noted by the court. They withdrew their consent but it made no difference to you, Judge Bindloss continued. You subjected one victim to coercive behavior solely for your own pleasure.
Victims share their trauma
In a victim impact statement, one man said: When I was first diagnosed with HIV I felt like I had been given a death sentence. He left me a broken man, a shell of who I was. What an utter betrayal of another human being. He said he let the monster in and blames himself, now feeling more wary and distrustful. Another victim stated: He gained my trust and hurt me in the most malicious way. The whole thing is unfair. He knew he was infected. He didn't give me the option of accessing pre or post HIV exposure treatment. I feel so angry for believing him. He is nothing but convincing. Since Hall infected me with HIV my life has been on hold. I don't know how someone could do that to another human being. He has given me a secret I will be forced to keep for the rest of my life.
Youngest victim diagnosed on school bus
One young victim recounted receiving a phone call informing him of his HIV diagnosis while traveling home from school. I still find it very difficult to say or read his name, he said. It was as though my world had just stopped. I was in a total state of disbelief and confusion. I couldn't believe someone had done this to me. When I got home I sat on my own and cried, I didn't know what to do. I couldn't tell anyone at school. I had to keep what I was told to myself.
Hall traveled from his home on Donvale Road, Washington, Tyne and Wear, to meet men across London, Manchester, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, County Durham, and Middlesbrough. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) stated that Hall deliberately concealed his HIV status, with victims only learning of it after undergoing tests themselves. He was convicted of raping four men and knowingly infecting three others.
Arrogant and unapologetic
During police interviews, Hall denied all offenses and blamed his victims throughout the trial. Blood samples from victims were cross-referenced with Hall's to substantiate the HIV transmission allegations. Detective Chief Inspector Emma Smith, who led the investigation, commended the bravery of the victims. It quickly became evident that Hall's intention was to infect as many people as he could, she said. All of the men were young, aged from 15 to their late 20s. 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.
Hall was arrested in 2023 for breaching his interim sexual risk order and for one of the HIV transmissions, and has remained in custody since. He had a history of targeting young vulnerable men, particularly those inexperienced sexually or who had not had a same-sex experience before. A power imbalance was part of the dynamic in these relationships.
Police seek additional victims
Northumbria Police believe there are more victims yet to be identified. DCI Smith added: 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 traveled across County Durham, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Manchester and London. He has shown absolutely no remorse and has never apologized for his behavior. 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. He was well known in the Newcastle gay scene and there is evidence he was involved in chemsex. Police encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim to come forward and contact Northumbria Police via their website and seek advice from local sexual health services.
