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George Flowers has been charged with aggravated sexual assault.

Toronto police have issued a Canada-wide arrest warrant for an HIV-positive man alleged to have had unprotected sex with multiple partners while concealing from them his condition.

George Flowers, 43 – also known as Mr. Flowas – is charged with 11 counts of aggravated sexual assault, and police believe there may be additional victims.

It's alleged he has known since 1996 that he carries the HIV virus, which causes AIDS, but did not disclose his status.

Mr. Flowers worked in Toronto in the entertainment business and met the women he befriended in bars and other venues, police said.

The Criminal Code specifies that anyone who is HIV-positive must apprise their sexual partners, and charges can be laid regardless of whether the infection is transmitted.

In the past 15 years, more than 100 people have been charged in Canada with various offences, including murder, for failing to do so.

However, two cases currently before the Supreme Court of Canada hinge on the level of risk to the unwitting partner, if the patient is receiving treatment. Defence lawyers have contended that because of medical advances, the HIV virus is not the death sentence that it once was.

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