AIDS-infected man assault suspect surrenders
Toronto Sun
A Toronto man once described as “a ticking bomb” after exposing his now dead former wife to AIDS is again facing charges of allegedly failing to inform a lover he has the dreaded condition.
The man and a 51-year-old woman met at a west-end bar and had unprotected sex multiple times between Aug. 5 and Aug. 19, Toronto Const. Tony Vella said.
The suspect is accused of failing to disclose his health status.
Police announced Friday morning an arrest warrant was issued for Ian Thomas Williams and he surrendered to police around 4:30 p.m. The 49-year-old man faces charges of aggravated assault and failing to comply with probation.
Police allege the suspect “willfully engaged” in unprotected sex with the victim without telling her about his condition.
He is to appear at Old City Hall Court on Saturday for a bail hearing.
Williams, who was diagnosed as HIV-positive in 1997, has faced similar charges in the past.
In 2005, he was accused of knowingly infecting his ex-wife with HIV.
Mary Maxenita Williams’ daughter Michelle Kelly went to police in her mother’s last stages of life, alleging her former step-father continued to have unprotected sex with women without informing them of his HIV status.
Police issued an alert to other potential sex partners of the suspect in April 2005.
Six women came forward.
“He’s ruined several women’s lives,” Kelly said in an interview with the Toronto Sun at the time.
Trinidadian-born Williams walked out on his new wife after he got his Canadian citizenship papers eight months after they married, Kelly’s sister, Yvette Ferguson, alleged in the same interview.
“He was cheating on her the whole time,” she claimed.
Their mother died of AIDS-related complications in May 2005.
Days later, Williams was charged with six counts of aggravated assault and one criminal negligence causing bodily harm, which was later upgraded to criminal negligence causing death.
Williams was released on bail while awaiting trial in that case and placed under a court order to refrain from sexual contact.
“Who’s going to keep dibs on that? That’s not right,” Kelly said in July 2005.
“He’s walking the streets like a ticking bomb,” she alleged.
In June 2006, Williams was found guilty of one count of aggravated assault and all other charged were dropped. He served a year behind bars.
Police are once again warning the public about Williams.
“We fear there may be more victims,” Vella said.
“If so, those people need to be tested for HIV immediately,” he said.
Anyone with information in the case is asked to call police at 416-808-5400 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 416-222-8477.
