Man with HIV didn't tell sex partners

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - A Comstock Park man went to the police last week to tell them that he had sex with people without informing them that he has the HIV virus, police said.

David Dean Smith, 51, was arrested Friday and has been charged with a felony in connection with the allegations.

Court records show that Smith said his plan was to infect as many people as possible with HIV with the intention of killing them.

Records also show that Grand Rapids police have identified at least one victim but believe there may be more because Smith indicated that there were.

Human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, is the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The virus weakens a person's ability to fight infections and cancer.

The first police learned of the case was when the suspect contacted them to confess.

"He came to us," said Grand Rapids Police Sgt. Jim Potter. "He indicated there were more victims."

According to a release from the Kent County Health Department, police said Smith suggested that he was intentionally trying to spread the virus and that hundreds of people may have been exposed. The Health Department said that the circumstances of this case constitute a "serious public health concern."

Police would not immediately comment on why the suspect came forward or whether or not the victim was infected with HIV.

The crime against the victim who has been identified allegedly occurred in 2008 in Grand Rapids.

Kent County Prosecutor William Forsyth said that other victims will have to come forward on their own in order for additional charges to be sought against Smith.

While the Kent County Health Department maintains records of reported AIDS and HIV cases, they do not release that information because of federal confidentiality regulations.

The Health Department Personal Health Services counselors are "taking this health threat seriously," according to a release from the Kent County Health Department. The Health Department encourages any potential victims to come forward and to undergo HIV testing.

Smith is being held at the Kent County Jail on one charge of AIDS -- sexual penetration with uninformed partner.

The Kent County Health Department offers safe and confidential HIV testing. Anyone concerned that they may have been infected can call Personal Health Services Clinic at 616.632.7171.

Any potential victims should contact the police directly, even if they get tested through the Kent County Health Department, as the Health Department does not release HIV information to police.