Police in Masaka District in central Uganda are holding a 48-year-old man for allegedly defiling underage girls who he later infected with HIV/Aids.

The suspect is a carpenter in Masaka Town and is a resident of Bwabikere Village, Kalagala Parish in Mukungwe Sub County in Masaka City.

It is alleged that he has been defiling children between ages of eight and13.

Police say the suspect was caught defiling a minor by a resident who quickly reported the case to the village chairperson, Mr Paul Lutaaya.

Ms Juliet Shida, the officer in charge of Children's Affairs at Masaka Central Police Station said the suspect had been subjected to an HIV test as part of police investigations.

"The suspect was taken to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital and he was found to be HIV positive. After getting his results, we also tested all his alleged victims and found them positive," she said.

Police said he will be charged with five counts of aggravated defilement.

The suspect told police that his wife died six years ago and he was sleeping with minors to sexually satisfy himself.

Ms Shida revealed to Daily Monitor that they have registered 79 cases of defilement in the last four months of the lockdown induced by Coronavirus pandemic.