A Washington man who raped and deliberately transmitted HIV to other men has been sentenced to life imprisonment today at Newcastle Crown Court.

Adam Hall, 43, previously of the Donwell area of Washington, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 24 years, of which he has already served 323 days on remand . He was found guilty following a trial of deliberately transmitting HIV to seven men, four of whom he was found guilty of raping.

Using a wide range of evidence, the Crown Prosecution Service was able to show that Hall had deliberately transmitted HIV to the men. Alongside forensic evidence, this also involved using medical records to show how Hall had failed to comply with his medication regime, regularly missed clinical appointments and ignored advice from medical professionals. Evidence seized from his electronic devices was also used to show how he had targeted young men for unprotected sex and lied to them about his HIV status.

Amy Dixon, Senior Crown Prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Adam Hall deliberately transmitted HIV to the victim-survivors in this case, some of whom he also raped. We wanted to ensure that he was prosecuted and that his sentence appropriately reflected the severity of his crimes. A crucial part of this was working with victims to get the evidence we needed to demonstrate that it was Hall’s intention to transmit the disease and to rule out any other potential sources of the disease.

“I would like to extend my thanks to Northumbria Police for their excellent work on what has been a highly complex investigation.

“Above all, I would like to praise the bravery and dignity shown by the victim-survivors and witnesses in this case. I hope that each of those impacted by Adam Hall’s actions can take some solace in knowing that their evidence has played a key part in securing this significant custodial sentence against him today.”

Hall was diagnosed with HIV in 2010 and, following this, healthcare professionals had repeatedly advised him about the importance of taking his medication, both for his own welfare and to prevent the transmission of the disease to sexual partners.

Despite this, Hall went on to have unprotected sex with his victims between November 2016 and May 2023, in several instances against their will. In each case, he failed to disclose his HIV status and his victims only found out after subsequently testing positive for the disease themselves.