PERTH, Australia, Oct 3 (AFP) - An Australian father of three is facing a long jail term after being found guilty here Thursday of infecting a teenage girl with HIV after meeting her on the Internet.

A jury in the District Court of Western Australia convicted Ronald Houghton, 35, of causing grievous bodily harm to the victim by passing on the infection to her when she was 18.

He pleaded not guilty.

The maximum sentence for the offence is 10 years' jail.

Judge Michael Muller, who will sentence Houghton October 22, warned him: "This is an extremely serious offence. I believe you are looking at a very lengthy jail sentence."

The pair met on the Internet five years ago.

Houghton was charged after the victim, now 22, discovered she was HIV positive following a four-month sexual relationship with him in 1999.

The court was told Houghton -- diagnosed HIV positive in early 1990 -- had never discussed his HIV status with the young woman.

The victim learned she had contracted HIV only when she gave blood in January 2000.

She told the court she would not have had unprotected sex with Houghton if he had declared his HIV status.

Houghton was remanded in custody for a medical report.

Immunologist Martyn French said the woman had not yet required treatment for the HIV infection.

Half of those who became infected with HIV developed AIDS within nine years, he said. Five per cent of sufferers who had had the virus for many years had not developed AIDS.

Outside court, Crown prosecutor Lindsay Robbins said the verdict showed how important it was for people to disclose their HIV status and take extreme care with sexual practices.

"People infected with this virus should be very circumspect about their behaviour and should inform their partners they are so infected," he said.

"They must take the necessary steps to protect their partners, either by wearing condoms or by using some of the gels that are available, or both," Robbins said.

In his defence, Houghton said he had not told the woman of his HIV status because his friends had "disappeared" after his diagnosis and he thought such a revelation would jeopardise his relationship with the teenager.

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