HIV-positive man accused of infecting four others

Police have arrested an HIV-positive man alleged to have deliberately infected four other men with the sexually-transmitted disease.

A 40-year-old man will appear in the Auckland District Court today charged with three counts of infecting with disease, being Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and one count of attempted infecting with disease.

These charges relate to three men aged between 17 and 26 infected with HIV, and a fourth man, aged 31, who was exposed to the disease.

Detective Sergeant Andy King, of the adult sexual assault team, said the man had been sexually active in Auckland and Wellington with men and women.

He encouraged anyone concerned about their health to contact theirdoctor.

Police said they began investigating a fortnight ago after receiving a formal complaint from a member of Auckland's gay community.

The complainant said the 40-year-old had sought unprotected sex, and had infected him with HIV.