Trial reset to October for Coralville man accused of exposing women to HIV

IOWA CITY - A trial for a Coralville man, accused of having sex with women while he was infected with HIV has been reset to Oct. 25, and one of the charges against him may be dismissed, court documents show.

Adam Musser, 35, is charged with four counts of criminal transmission of a contagious or infectious disease to another, all Class D felonies. Musser is accused of exposing at least five women, and one man, to the disease with the intent that the uninfected person contract the disease by having unprotected sex with Musser.

The criminal complaints show Musser had unprotected sex in 2015 with a woman in May through June, one woman from June 20 through July 20, and another woman from July through Aug. 6.

Another complaint shows Musser also exposed a male friend because the friend had sex with the same two women Musser did from June 24 through Aug. 6, and the friend wasn't aware Musser was HIV positive.

Assistant Johnson County Attorney Anne Lahey filed a motion asking the court to dismiss that charge regarding the male, stating the witness didn't want to testify at trial.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Marsha Bergan hasn't made a ruling on that motion.

The trial was set to start July 12 but Musser's attorney, Douglas E. Johnston, filed a motion July 8, saying the state has added numerous witnesses less than a month before and the defense is in the process of obtaining one or more expert medical witnesses to review depositions of state's expert witnesses. Johnston said he needed more time to complete this.

On July 11, Bergan granted the continuance based on Johnston's motion and because the state didn't resist resetting the trial.

Musser was originally arrested by Coralville police on Aug. 9, 2015 after an investigation showed he had unprotected sex with a victim about 40 times in June and July of 2015, while claiming to be disease-free. Later, Iowa City police charged Musser after a second victim came forward.

According to court records, Musser was sentenced to 50 years in 2004 for four counts of criminal transmission of HIV. He filed multiple appeals of his sentence, but those appeals were overturned. He was released from prison in October 2012, according to the Iowa Department of Corrections' records.