A businessman has been jailed for life for drugging and sexually assaulting women, including attacks on the London Underground. Chao Xu, 33, was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court after pleading guilty to 24 offences against six women, including rape, assault by penetration, and upskirting.
The judge described Xu's offending as 'calculated and planned', noting he posed a high risk to women. Police fear he may be one of the worst sex offenders in British criminal history, with hundreds of potential victims still unidentified. Investigators are examining millions of messages and data from devices seized from his flat in Greenwich, south London.
Xu used hidden cameras, including in air fresheners and sanitary products, to film his attacks. He lured women to his home with parties or networking events, serving a cocktail called 'Spring of Life' laced with drugs like GHB and scopolamine. One victim, a PhD student, said she felt everything but could not fight back, adding that Xu 'stole the person I was'.
Offences included attacks on the large escalator at London Bridge station and across the transport network. Xu was caught after a victim reported him to police. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 13 and a half years, and is liable for deportation as a foreign national.
Detective Superintendent Lewis Sanderson said Xu edited footage into compilations for his own gratification and watched extreme material, with further charges being considered. The case has been compared to that of Zhenhao Zou, though police say there is no link between the two.
