Officials continue to investigate man charged in willful HIV infection

Authorities said they are investigating whether there are more alleged victims of a man charged with knowingly infecting a partner with HIV.

“There is an ongoing investigation as to whether there may be additional charges,” said a spokesman for San Diego City Atty. Jan Goldsmith.

Thomas Miguel Guerra, 29, of Imperial Beach pleaded not guilty this week during a brief hearing in San Diego County Superior Court. The charge is a misdemeanor, with a maximum sentence of six months in jail.

The alleged victim told investigators that he believed Guerra was HIV negative until he happened to look at messages on Guerra’s cellphone and found that Guerra had “joked around ... about being HIV positive and other people not knowing,” according to court documents.

The alleged victim then ended their relationship and took the case to police, according to court documents. The text messages dated back to 2007.

Another alleged former partner of Guerra’s told the Los Angeles Times on Friday that he had given a statement to city prosecutors saying that he, too, may have been infected with HIV by Guerra, who had sworn that he was negative. The second partner said that during their relationship Guerra was using a different name.

Under California law, anyone “with any contagious, infectious or communicable disease who willfully exposes himself or herself to another person” is guilty of a misdemeanor.

The alleged victim is identified only by first name and last initial in court documents.

Follow the reporter on Twitter: @LATsandiego