FREDERICK, Md. — A day after the story broke, more women are coming forward in the chilling case of the Frederick man accused of knowingly infecting women with HIV.
A grand jury has already indicted Rudolph Smith, 34, for allegedly infecting four women. Police say he may soon be charged with infecting even more women.
Smith allegedly met the women on dating sites like Bumble and the now shut down site Backpage. Prosecutors told WUSA9 he did not warn the women and would insist on unprotected sex, knowing full well he was infected with HIV.
One of the alleged victims went to police back in 2017, but it took prosecutors and investigators almost two years to put together enough evidence to indict him.
While they were trying to put together the case -- warrants, medical records, interviews -- they suspect Smith infected several more women, even after police spoke to him and warned him they were looking into what he was doing.
The grand jury has indicted him on four counts each of first degree assault, reckless endangerment, and knowing transfer of HIV. The HIV law dates from 1989, when many people considered HIV a death sentence. Today, the virus can be held at bay with medication. But the impact on the victims is still enormous.
Prosecutors asked a judge to keep Smith in custody, warning he was a danger to the community. But his public defender asked for bail, and the judge set it at $100,000.
At last check Wednesday afternoon, he had not yet posted bail.