BUFFALO, N.Y.— New York state can continue with efforts to keep sex offender Nushawn Williams locked up beyond the 12-year prison sentence he completed in April after infecting at least 13 women with the AIDS virus.

A state Supreme Court judge in Buffalo refused a request by Williams’ lawyer to throw out the attorney general’s case to have Williams held indefinitely under the civil confinement statute.

Attorney Daniel Grasso had argued that Williams isn’t subject to that 3-year-old law because it was passed after he’d finished his sentence for statutory rape and was serving time for reckless endangerment.

But the judge agreed Monday with the state that sentences merge together in prison.

Williams’ civil confinement trial is set for October.