Authorities say he had sex with women and didn’t tell them he had HIV.
Frederick, Md (KM) More charges have been filed against a Frederick man arrested for knowingly transmitting the HIV virus. The Frederick County Grand Jury has returned an additional indictment against Rudolph Jericho Smith, 34, charging him with three counts each of 1st-degree assault, reckless endangerment and knowingly transmitting HIV, the virus which causes AIDS.
“The charges stem from disclosures that were made by three additional victims following our initial indictment that was filed back in April of this year,” says State’s Attorney Charlie Smith. “So these ladies did come forward and serve as the basis for these additional charges.”
According to the State’s Attorney’s Office, the Frederick Police began their investigation in the summer of 2017 when several women came forward to say they had contracted HIV after having sexual relations with Rudolph Smith. Investigators spent a considerable amount of time trying to determine if Rudolph Smith was HIV positive, and if he was aware of it. They learned t Rudolph Smith knew he had the HIV virus.
Police obtained a search warrant on Rudolph Smith’s blood, and confirmed that he was HIV positive. Yet he continued to meet women on dating websites and have unprotected sex with them, even though he was knew he was HIV positive.
“His conduct is obviously malicious. It’s obviously going to have a life long impact on the lives of these women,” says Charlie Smith. “If there are further women out there that this has affected, we ask them to come forward. as well. And if they are sufficient for indictment, we’ll indict him yet again.”
“We have had seven women come forward that have been willing to be be the basis for these indictments, :” says Charlie Smith. “We’ve actually have some other women come forward who do not want to want to be involved, which is sad.”
By Kevin McManus