NOTE: The following article contains disturbing details and video footage. Please read at your own discretion.
A British judge sentenced Chinese PhD student Zhenhao Zou to life with a minimum of 24 years in prison for drugging and raping 10 women in England and China.
Zou, 28, was convicted of the attacks, which took place between 2019 and 2023, during a four-week trial earlier this year at Inner London Crown Court.
Judge Rosina Cottage on Thursday described Zou as “very bright young man” who used a manipulative, “charming mask” to hide that he is a “sexual predator.” Cottage told Zou he would serve 22 years and 227 days before he was eligible for parole, according to the London’s Metropolitan Police Service.
A jury found him guilty of 28 offences in total, including counts of voyeurism, possession of an extreme pornographic image, possession of a drug to commit a sexual offence and false imprisonment.
“The lengthy sentence reflects justice for the women who are victim-survivors of Zou and is testament to the extraordinary lengths gone to by investigators, who left no stone unturned in their pursuit to take a dangerous sexual predator off the streets,” Metropolitan Police Service said in a statement.
Zou, who claimed the encounters were consensual, was studying for a PhD in mechanical engineering at University College London in 2023 when the first woman came forward to allege that he had raped her.
As part of the investigation, police seized Zou’s phone, on which they found videos of him raping unconscious women. A search of his apartment in south London turned up sedatives and recording equipment.
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Investigators watched hundreds of videos as they built the case of evidence against Zou, which led to the conclusion that he had not only committed offences in London but also in China, according to police.
Police are still investigating Zou’s crimes and at least 24 women have come forward with new allegations as a result of the publicity surrounding his trial.
Zou, who also used the name Pakho online, befriended fellow students of Chinese heritage on dating apps and WeChat, before inviting them for drinks and drugging them at his apartments in London or an unknown location in China.
According to evidence presented at trial, Zou filmed nine of the attacks as “souvenirs” using hidden or handheld cameras and kept a “trophy box” of his victims’ belongings.
Prosecutor Saira Pike praised the victims who came forward to report Zou’s “horrific crimes.”
“They have been incredibly strong and brave,” Pike said. “There is no doubt that their evidence helped us to secure his conviction, and the life sentence handed to him today.”
Pike referred to Zou as “a serial rapist” and “a danger to women.”
“We have always been determined to seek justice for both the unidentified and identified victims in this case. We used an evidence-led approach that relied on the video recordings of Zou to ensure this dangerous predator faced justice,” Pike added.
“The prosecution team worked with the police for over a year to pick apart an unprecedented amount of footage and web chats showing his meticulous planning and the horrifying execution of his crimes,” she said.
Commander of the Metropolitan Police Service, Kevin Southworth, said that his thoughts “have always been with the courageous victim-survivors of Zou’s heinous and predatory crimes.”
“Thanks to the remarkable efforts of our officers and prosecutors, a dangerous and cowardly offender has been handed a life sentence. I hope the fact Zou can no longer harm others serves as a small amount of comfort to the women who have suffered immeasurably,” Southworth added.
He said that he wanted to “stress that our investigation remains open” and police are continuing to “appeal to anyone may think they have been a victim of Zou.”
“Please come forward and speak with our team – we will treat you with empathy, kindness and respect,” Southworth added.
Police encourage anyone with information about potential crimes relating to Zou to report them online or contact police via phone or email.
—With files from The Associated Press
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