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Prosecutors alleged Boone set out to infect his partners with HIV by lying about or failing to disclose his status.

Court heard Boone was 28 when he learned he had HIV in October 2009 and continued to have an active and largely unprotected sex life. He was also involved in the online “bug-chasing” culture, which refers to people who are turned on by the idea of infecting others or being infected with HIV, court heard.

Boone bragged in texts about infecting young men with HIV and described lying to partners about his status and sabotaging condoms, court heard.

His lawyers argued that the conversations were fantasy and role-playing between people sexually aroused by those ideas. The Crown, meanwhile, said the messages should be taken at face value and show Boone intended to infect others and eventually cause their death to satisfy his sexual desires.

The convictions relate to four complainants, whose identities are all protected by publication bans.

One of the complainants, identified only as D.S., was 17 when he met Boone online and the pair had unprotected sex nine times in early 2010, court heard. Boone assured D.S. that he had no sexually transmitted infections but later admitted, after being confronted, that he had HIV, court heard.

A few months later, D.S. tested positive for HIV, and while he had sex with other men in that time, an expert testified it was more likely that Boone had infected him.

Another complainant, M.C., also met Boone online when he was 17 and had unprotected sex with him during a one-night stand, court heard. Boone repeatedly told M.C. he had no sexually transmitted infections but again later admitted he lied. M.C. tested negative for HIV.