Jonathan Carl, a 42-year-old man from Hornchurch, east London, was sentenced to 17 years in prison last month following his conviction for rape and reckless transmission of HIV. The Met Police have revealed that Carl, a former hairdresser, may have hundreds more victims beyond those already identified. His case, which has raised significant alarm, has prompted a police appeal for further victims to come forward for testing and support.

Carl's criminal conduct spanned from 2019 to 2023 and involved using gay dating apps such as Grindr and Scruff to make approximately 400 digital contacts with men aged between 17 and 60. The Metropolitan Police investigation has led to the identification of at least 82 men who have been informed of Carl's HIV status and fast-tracked into NHS screening services. However, police estimate that around 318 additional men remain unaccounted for, and an appeal has been launched urging these potential victims to come forward to receive confidential testing, advice, and support.

Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford described Carl as “very predatory,” highlighting the troubling content of messages sent by Carl that indicate he may have been involved in further sexual assaults where the acts meet the legal definition of rape. Basford emphasised the gravity of Carl's recklessness, noting that he deliberately chose not to take HIV medication and lied about his status to those he met. Although the law does not require individuals to disclose their HIV status, the Met believes that Carl’s behaviour constituted reckless transmission, which falls under offences against the person causing grievous bodily harm.

Victims have spoken about the profound psychological impact of Carl's actions. One victim reported feelings of powerlessness and dehumanisation, expressing the hope that coming forward would prevent further harm. Another detailed ongoing struggles with guilt and the damaging effect the experience has had on his ability to form romantic relationships, compounded by societal stigma surrounding HIV.

This case compounds the ongoing trust issues between the LGBTQ+ community and the Metropolitan Police. According to the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), the LGBTQ+ community exhibits the lowest level of trust in the Met compared to any other community, with only 58% confidence. This distrust partly stems from prior policing failures in east London, including insufficient investigations related to the serial killer Stephen Port, whose crimes resulted in multiple deaths between 2014 and 2015. A recent watchdog report warned the Met that failures in investigating unexpected deaths might cause the force to miss detecting serial offenders.

The Metropolitan Police are working closely with NHS partners and charities to provide affected individuals with confidential services for testing and advice. They stress that every victim should have the choice to seek medical help or report crimes to the police. The appeal for more victims to come forward underlines the scale of the potential public health risk, with many men still urged to get tested to safeguard their health and that of others.

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Source: Noah Wire Services