An Edinburgh man is on trial for deliberately infecting four sexual partners and attempting to infect six others with HIV.
Darryll Rowe is alleged to have claimed he was HIV-free and demanded unprotected sex with partners he met on Grindr, a social networking app for gay and bisexual men.
When his partners insisted he used condoms, he allegedly tampered with them.
He also reportedly sent his sexual partners mocking text messages, revealing that he was, in fact, HIV positive.
One text read: "Maybe you have the fever. I came inside you and I have HIV LOL. Oops!"
In a phone call to another partner, who had insisted he use a condom, Rowe allegedly said: "I ripped the condom. You're so stupid. You didn't even know."
Rowe is being charged with infecting four men and attempting to infect six others between October 2015 and December 2016.
Rowe denies all charges against him.
Intentionally infecting someone with HIV is classified as grievous bodily harm and can be punishable with up to life imprisonment.
Rowe was first diagnosed with HIV in April 2015.
Doctors told the court he was coping well with the diagnosis, but they became concerned, when he refused antiretroviral drugs that could make him less contagious.
"He was warned he could be prosecuted for passing [HIV] on or even putting someone at risk of contracting HIV from him," the prosecutor said, describing the alleged crimes as a "cynical and deliberate campaign".
The trial is expected to last six weeks.
Newshub.
