Overview

• Jonathan Carl, 42, was sentenced to 17 years at Snaresbrook Crown Court for rape and reckless transmission of HIV and is subject to a 15-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
• Police say Carl used dating apps including Grindr and Scruff between 2019 and 2023, making about 400 digital contacts and often meeting men at his Hornchurch home above a fish and chip shop.
• Detectives have identified and spoken to 82 men so far and report that some of those individuals have tested positive for HIV.
• The appeal launched on 19 September urges anyone who met Carl, particularly in East London and Essex areas such as Havering, Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham, to seek confidential testing and support.
• The case began with allegations reported in January 2024, leading to Carl’s arrest on 25 January, charges on 4 February, a June 11 conviction, and an August 29 sentencing as police continue tracing additional contacts.