Ottawa police are urging anyone who had sexual relations with an Ottawa man charged with aggravated sexual assault to come forward after the man was accused of not disclosing a life-threatening sexually transmitted disease to his partners.

Steven Paul Boone, 29, was charged with nine counts of aggravated sexual assault on Thursday after police investigated incidents that occurred in late January and early February 2010. He is also being investigated for the same offence in Waterloo.

Ottawa police began their investigation of Boone on April 30 after a male victim reported he contracted an infectious disease from a man who failed to disclose his medical condition. Police will not say what disease the man may have passed on.

However, police told CTV Ottawa they cannot charge someone with aggravated sexual assault unless the assault causes bodily harm.

Although the sex was consensual, police say the root of the problem is that the man did not disclose his medical condition.

Police release photo of Boone

In an unusual move, Ottawa police released a photo of Boone on Friday, urging any other victims to come forward.

"The Ottawa Police is releasing the picture of the charged man - an extraordinary measure - to ensure that all sexual partners are informed that medical follow-up is warranted," Acting Police Chief Gilles Larochelle stated in a media release.

Boone is thought to have had multiple sexual partners over the past few months. Police say he made contact with most of those partners on the Internet. It's believed there may be other victims outside the city.

Anyone who may have had sexual contact with Boone is urged to seek immediate medical attention.

The city's medical officer of health advises any victims that Ottawa Public Health offers free and anonymous testing for sexually transmitted infections.

Boone appeared in court on Thursday. He remains in custody.

Precedent-setting case

Last year, a jury found a Hamilton man guilty of first-degree murder after two women died after he had unprotected sex with them and failed to disclose that he was HIV-positive.

The historic ruling put Johnson Aziga behind bars for murder, as well as 10 counts of aggravated sexual assault and one count of attempted aggravated sexual assault.

In all, Aziga infected seven women with HIV after neglecting to tell them about his condition. He was the first person in Canada charged with lethally infecting sexual partners with HIV.

Ottawa police ask anyone who may have been a victim of Boone to contact investigators at 613-236-1222, ext. 5944 or Crime Stoppers at 613-233-TIPS.

With files from CTV Ottawa's Graham Richardson