Maryland man sentenced for knowingly spreading HIV to women

FREDERICK, Md. (WTVR) -- A 37-year-old Maryland man was sentenced to almost 30 years for assault and knowingly transferring HIV to three women.

According to the Frederick County State's Attorney's Office, the Frederick Police Department began an investigation into Rudolph Jericho Smith during the summer of 2017 when at least three women claimed that he had infected them with HIV.

Officials say that a lot of time was spent trying to determine whether or not Smith was HIV positive and whether he was aware of that fact.

However, detectives eventually established that he was, in fact, aware that he was HIV positive and still continued to have unprotected sex with women without informing them of his status.

Smith was sentenced to 30 years, suspending all but nine years and, upon his release, he's ordered to serve five years of probation. He entered an Alford plea to three counts of second-degree assault and three counts of knowingly attempted to transfer HIV on September 13.