Mounties in Mission, B.C. have issued a warning to the public over reports that a man who has spent time in the province's Lower Mainland may have engaged in intercourse without telling partners he has HIV.

In a statement Thursday, police said they were first alerted to the case on July 19, when they were told that a man had been having unprotected sex while failing to disclose he is HIV-positive. As the investigation continued, Mounties determined he may have offended against additional women.

Abbotsford resident Brian Carlisle, 47, has been charged with three counts of aggravated sexual assault. While the charges have not been proven in court, police made the rare decision to release his medical status because of the potential that others may have contracted the virus.

The decision was made after careful consideration, Mounties said, and because they felt "the public interest clearly outweighs the invasion of Mr. Carlisle's privacy."

Carlisle is Caucasian, weighs about 220 pounds and is 6-foot-2. He has blue eyes and short brown hair.

The offences allegedly occurred in Mission, Abbotsford, Coquitlam and Burnaby, but police said Carlisle has been known to reside outside the Lower Mainland, and may have also lived in Ontario, Manitoba, New Brunswick and the U.S. state of Vermont.

He has an online presence on several social media and dating sites, police said.

Police advise anyone who has been intimately involved with Carlisle, including those outside of B.C., to visit a doctor for testing. Officers ask his previous sexual partners to contact them.

Anyone with any information connected to the investigation is asked to call a dedicated tip line at 604-814-1644 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

Carlisle appeared in court Thursday and was released on a number of conditions including that he not use social media or dating sites, and that he inform any potential sexual partners of his status. He is also ordered to wear a condom during intercourse.

He is due to appear in court again on Sept. 11.