Adam Hall jailed for life after infecting victims with HIV, rapes

Adam Hall was told he had taken away his victims’ futures after a judge sentenced the 43-year-old to life in prison with a minimum term of 23 years and 42 days for a series of rapes and deliberate HIV transmission.

Hall, from the Washington area of Tyne and Wear, was convicted in March of five counts of rape and seven counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. The offences involved seven victim-survivors between 2016 and 2023, including five young men and boys aged 15 and 17.

Prosecutors said Hall was diagnosed with HIV in 2010 and was repeatedly advised by healthcare professionals to take medication to suppress the virus. By 2016, doctors knew he was not following treatment and that his viral load was detectable and infectious. Despite that, he continued to have unprotected sex, often without telling partners about his status.

In some cases, the abuse escalated into rape. One victim was given GHB and later woke to Hall raping him. Four of the seven men were infected with HIV and four were raped, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Northumbria Police said Hall met victims online and in bars, including through Grindr, and targeted vulnerable young men. Officers said he travelled across England, including to County Durham, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Manchester and London, and believe there may be other unidentified victims.

Detective Chief Inspector Emma Smith said there are likely more people who have not yet come forward, and investigators have urged anyone who may have had contact with Hall, or who has concerns about their health, to seek confidential advice from sexual health services. Police also said Hall has shown no remorse.

The case carries unusual legal weight. Northumbria Police said Hall is only the second person in the UK to be convicted of intentionally transmitting HIV, underscoring both the criminal justice significance of the case and the lasting harm left behind for those who were assaulted and infected.