Chao Xu is “one of the most prolific sex offenders ever identified”, London police said after he was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 14 years.
The 33-year-old Chinese man was sentenced to life in prison by a British court on Friday for the rape and sexual assault of six women, some of whom were drugged, between 2021 and 2025 in London.
He admitted to 24 charges
The Chinese national, who has lived in the UK since 2016, pleaded guilty to 24 charges involving six women, including rape, sexual assault, voyeurism and supplying a chemical substance.
He attracted his victims, mostly female students from the universities of Greenwich and King’s College in London, through his recruitment business which helped young graduates find work in London. This “networking” session took place in his apartment in the south of the capital.
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Medicinal plants to help you fall asleep
His modus operandi was often the same: he served his victims a cocktail he called “Spring of Life” and contained Chinese medicinal plants, which were intended to stun his victims, according to the investigation.
This was later filmed, the apartment was full of cameras cleverly hidden in sometimes unusual places, including deodorant.
Chao Xu was arrested when a woman he had drugged regained consciousness and called the police, who immediately intervened.
“He stole the old me”
During the search, investigators found thousands of images and videos, many of which showed unconscious women.
Another video shows Chao Xu raping his victim. According to prosecutor Catherine Farrelly, the video shows attacks on at least eleven other women. For the defendant, these videos were a kind of “trophy,” he added.
Police said they are continuing to examine evidence to identify other potential victims. In court, one of the victims spoke at length about his attack, saying he was “afraid I will never forget what this man did to me (…)”. And added: “He stole the real me.”
