Frederick man accused of knowingly transferring HIV to women to be sentenced

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Prosecutors say Rudolph Smith of Frederick knowingly transfered HIV to seven women.

FREDERICK, Md. - A Frederick man will be sentenced in November for knowingly transfering HIV to more than a dozen women he met online.

Rudolph Smith entered an Alford plea to six counts tied to the crimes Friday.

The plea means he doesn't admit guilt, but agrees prosecutors have enough evidence to convict him.

Frederick Police began investigating Smith in the summer of 2017, when multiple women told officers they thought he had infected them with HIV.

Police say "considerable time was spent" trying to determine whether Smith was HIV positive, and whether he was aware.

Police were eventually able to confirm that Smith was HIV positive when they executed a search warrant for his blood.

After they talked to Smith, police learned that Smith continued to meet women on dating sites, and that he was still having unprotected sex with them without disclosing that he was HIV positive.

Police say they identified 15 victims.