A London businessman has been sentenced to life in prison for drugging and sexually assaulting dozens of women, including filming them during his attacks. The 33-year-old Chao Xu was found guilty of 24 offences against six women, which included four rapes, eight assaults by penetration, and four counts of voyeurism.
The court heard that Xu's offending was calculated and planned, with the intention to gain control over his victims. He would often use hidden cameras to record unsuspecting women, including those he met at parties or networking events where he served a cocktail called "Spring of Life". The drink contained date rape drugs such as GHB and scopolamine, which rendered his victims unable to fight him off.
Victims reported feeling a sense of helplessness and powerlessness during their attacks, with one describing the experience as "losing control of my body". Xu's victims also reported struggling with anxiety and depression in the aftermath of their assaults. The judge described Xu as an "incredibly dangerous man" who posed a high risk to women.
Xu was arrested in June after a woman he had drugged and attacked called the police from his flat. Police found a series of hidden cameras, including ones disguised as air fresheners, at his home in Greenwich, south London. His phone records also showed that he had filmed many of his attacks for his own sexual gratification.
The case has been likened to another recent high-profile case involving Zhenhao Zou, who was jailed for attacking 10 women after drugging and filming them. However, police have stated that there is no known link between Xu and Zou.
Xu's offending appears to be part of a larger pattern of behaviour, with police estimating that he may have hundreds more victims than the six confirmed. The Met police are urging anyone who may have been a victim or has information about Xu's activities to come forward.
The case highlights concerns about the prevalence of date rape drugs and voyeurism in the UK, particularly among young women from Chinese heritage. It also raises questions about how Xu was able to evade detection for so long, despite his extensive network of hidden cameras.
Xu's sentencing is a major victory for police and campaigners who have been fighting against online predators like him. However, it is a sobering reminder that there are still many more people out there who pose a risk to women's safety and security.
In a statement outside court, one of Xu's victims said: "He stole the person I was... He has changed me. I feel that I can never go back to who I was." The case is set to have far-reaching implications for law enforcement and victim support services, as police continue to investigate hundreds of possible additional victims.
The court heard that Xu's offending was calculated and planned, with the intention to gain control over his victims. He would often use hidden cameras to record unsuspecting women, including those he met at parties or networking events where he served a cocktail called "Spring of Life". The drink contained date rape drugs such as GHB and scopolamine, which rendered his victims unable to fight him off.
Victims reported feeling a sense of helplessness and powerlessness during their attacks, with one describing the experience as "losing control of my body". Xu's victims also reported struggling with anxiety and depression in the aftermath of their assaults. The judge described Xu as an "incredibly dangerous man" who posed a high risk to women.
Xu was arrested in June after a woman he had drugged and attacked called the police from his flat. Police found a series of hidden cameras, including ones disguised as air fresheners, at his home in Greenwich, south London. His phone records also showed that he had filmed many of his attacks for his own sexual gratification.
The case has been likened to another recent high-profile case involving Zhenhao Zou, who was jailed for attacking 10 women after drugging and filming them. However, police have stated that there is no known link between Xu and Zou.
Xu's offending appears to be part of a larger pattern of behaviour, with police estimating that he may have hundreds more victims than the six confirmed. The Met police are urging anyone who may have been a victim or has information about Xu's activities to come forward.
The case highlights concerns about the prevalence of date rape drugs and voyeurism in the UK, particularly among young women from Chinese heritage. It also raises questions about how Xu was able to evade detection for so long, despite his extensive network of hidden cameras.
Xu's sentencing is a major victory for police and campaigners who have been fighting against online predators like him. However, it is a sobering reminder that there are still many more people out there who pose a risk to women's safety and security.
In a statement outside court, one of Xu's victims said: "He stole the person I was... He has changed me. I feel that I can never go back to who I was." The case is set to have far-reaching implications for law enforcement and victim support services, as police continue to investigate hundreds of possible additional victims.
I'm literally shocked by this dude Chao Xu's sick behaviour... how could he do this to all those women? It's like, he used these date rape drugs to control them and film them without their consent 
. The fact that he had all these hidden cameras at his place is just insane... it's like a real-life horror movie. 
. I mean, we've heard of online predators before, but this is just on another level. It's not just about the victim, it's about the hundreds more women who might have been affected by him... and that's just devastating 
.
. And the judge described him as "incredibly dangerous"... I couldn't agree more, mate 
. So yeah, let's hope this sentencing sends a strong message out there and helps protect all these women in the future 
.
man's crimes are absolutely APPALLING 
Xu is a total monster and I can only imagine how terrified his victims must've felt during those attacks 
his sentencing is a much-needed message that this kind of crap won't be tolerated anymore 
but at the same time, it's heartbreaking to think about all the other potential victims out there who might not have come forward or been believed... we need to do more to support survivors and raise awareness about these issues, ASAP 
need to do better than just sentencing him life, gotta protect our sisters and daughters too 
i mean 24 crimes against six women is already bad enough but like it could be so many more 
they're saying hundreds more victims which is just wild 
how did this guy even manage to evade detection for so long tho? was he just too slick or something? 
also what's with the "Spring of Life" drink name btw sounds like some kinda sick twisted joke 
my friends from my school's drama club are always talking about consent and boundaries, it's crazy that someone could just disregard people's autonomy like that 
anyway i'm just glad justice was served and maybe this can help prevent something like this from happening again 
The UK needs to do better at identifying & protecting its most vulnerable citizens, especially those from underrepresented communities. 
We need to hold our authorities accountable for ensuring that perpetrators like Xu are brought to justice ASAP. No more excuses! 
this sentence just feels like a punch in the gut... how do we even process the fact that there are people out there who think they can control another human being's body without their consent? 
his crimes are absolutely horrific and the fact that he was able to film his victims without them knowing is just chilling 
we need to keep supporting the police and victim support services so they can help those who have been affected by these crimes