15-year-old accuser unable to disclose name of man accused of HIV rape

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A man, now in his twenties, who claims he was raped and deliberately infected with HIV at the age of 15, is unable to say the name of his alleged attacker, a court has heard. The man testified that he was on his way home from school when he received a call from a sexual health clinic informing him that he had contracted the virus, Newcastle Crown Court was told.

Adam Hall, aged 43, denies the charges of raping this man and four others. He also faces seven counts of intentionally causing grievous bodily harm. Prosecutors assert that Hall met his victims through online platforms and bars in Newcastle.

In a police video shown to the jury, the victim recounted that Hall was one of two men he had sex with during this period. The other man had been excluded as the source of the infection. Prosecutors claim Hall was aware of his HIV-positive status, having been diagnosed in 2010, but failed to inform his sexual partners, did not use protection, and neglected to take the necessary medications that would have made him non-infectious.

The man, whose identity cannot be revealed, is the fourth alleged victim of Hall to testify in the ongoing trial, which started over three weeks ago.

During an interview with officers, the victim said he could not bring himself to say Hall's name, describing the entire situation as making him feel "nauseous." Instead, he referred to his alleged attacker as "AH." The victim explained that he met Hall when he was 15, and the two men, along with another individual, engaged in a threesome. He described Hall as being "aggressive" and "hands-on" with the other man. Although the victim decided he no longer wanted to participate, he chose not to resist, simply wanting to go home. He relied on Hall for a ride.

Several weeks later, the victim learned that he had contracted chlamydia, gonorrhea, and possibly HIV after undergoing medical tests. "I was in the school toilets crying, thinking I might have HIV," the man recalled.

Further tests confirmed that he was indeed HIV-positive. He vividly remembered receiving the call with the results at 15:36 on a Thursday, just after getting off the school bus. He said he went home "and absolutely sobbed."

The victim reached out to Hall again to discuss what had happened, but Hall, who had falsely claimed to be 25 years old, married with five children, denied the man's account. He then blocked him on social media. The victim emphasized that Hall was the only person he had been intimate with during that period, while also mentioning the other man involved in the threesome. The victim stated that the other man had HIV but was on medication that kept the virus at an undetectable level, ensuring he was not infectious at the time. The victim had seen proof of this claim.

The trial continues.

Author: Grace Ellison