A ‘predatory’ rapist jailed for attacking two men and recklessly spreading HIV may have hundreds of other victims, police have warned.
Jonathan Carl, 42, was sentenced in June to 17 years’ imprisonment after being convicted at Snaresbrook Crown Court of rape and grievous bodily harm of reckless transmission of HIV.
Police said their investigation began after a man reported that he had woken up to being raped after having met up socially with Carl.
Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford said there were a ‘significant number of very vulnerable individuals who could be victim-survivors of rape’.
The Metropolitan Police said Carl had been using dating apps over several years and officers believe there are 318 men that need to be identified and tested for HIV.
Carl, who lived on Station Lane in Hornchurch, mainly met people at his home address from his local area of east London and Essex – including the areas of Havering, Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham.
Mr Basford said that between 2019 and 2023 Carl made around ‘400 digital contacts’ through the dating apps Grindr and Scruff who he ‘met or was close to meeting’.
Of those 400 men, police have already identified 82 males, with Mr Basford saying that some of those identified had tested positive for HIV.
Discussing Carl’s offending at a media briefing at New Scotland Yard on Friday, Mr Basford said: ‘He is a predatory individual.
‘We have messages and content which would lead us to say that there are victims of rape out there who have not come forward to the police.’
Acting Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Bishop said it was ‘very difficult’ to assess the number of potential victims.
Ms Bishop added: ‘He did target vulnerable people.
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‘There’s a lot of men on there that he spoke to who admitted they were vulnerable.
‘Some were unsure of their sexuality. Some of them, it was their first sexual contact.’
Carl was described at his sentencing as ‘prolific’ and ‘only interested in his own sexual desires’.
Ms Bishop said that Carl, who had worked as a hairdresser, was ‘meeting three or four people a day on some occasions’.
Carl was convicted at Snaresbrook Crown Court of one count of rape and one count of section 20 grievous bodily harm of reckless transmission of HIV.
He was served with a 15-year sexual prevention order under which he has to notify police within three days of having a new sexual partner and has to disclose his HIV status if he is not taking his medication.
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