Chao Xu, a 33-year-old businessman from Greenwich, south London, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for a series of sexual offences that police believe may make him one of the worst sex offenders in British criminal history. The judge described his crimes as 'calculated and planned' and warned he posed a high risk to women.
Xu drugged women with a cocktail he called 'Spring of Life', laced with GHB or scopolamine, and filmed his attacks using hidden cameras placed around his home, including in air fresheners and sanitary product packets. He also used his mobile phone to film assaults, including upskirting at London Bridge station and on the transport network.
At Woolwich Crown Court, Judge Grout sentenced Xu to life with a minimum term of 13 and a half years before parole eligibility. As a foreign national, Xu is liable for deportation. He pleaded guilty to 24 offences against six women, including four rapes, eight assaults by penetration, four sexual assaults, two counts of drugging, four counts of voyeurism, and two counts of upskirting.
One victim, a PhD student, said Xu 'stole the person I was' and that she could not fight back due to the drugs. Another victim described him as 'a shadow in my heart'. Police have identified three victims so far but fear there could be hundreds more, with 6 million messages in Mandarin yet to be examined. Detective Superintendent Lewis Sanderson said Xu edited footage for his own gratification and watched extreme pornography, potentially leading to further charges.
The case bears similarities to that of Zhenhao Zou, who was jailed for similar offences, but police have found no connection between the two men. Xu was caught when a victim reported him, leading to the discovery of his extensive collection of recordings.
