Recruitment entrepreneur Chao Xu has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 14 years at Woolwich Crown Court today. The 33-year-old Chinese national admitted to over 20 offenses including four counts of rape, eight counts of assault by penetration, and multiple voyeurism charges against at least seven women between November 2021 and June 2025.
Xu operated by hosting networking events at his £700,000 Greenwich flat, where he offered victims a "special cocktail" he called the "spring of life." The drink contained powerful sedatives including GHB and scopolamine. He then raped unconscious women and filmed the abuse using hidden cameras concealed in air fresheners and sanitary products. Police also discovered hundreds of upskirting files taken at London Bridge tube station, primarily targeting women aged 18 to 30.
Judge Christopher Grout described Xu's crimes as «horrendous» and told him: «You are an incredibly dangerous man. You betrayed the trust of a number of women who you befriended in the most appalling ways imaginable.» One victim told the court: «I don't think I will ever be the same person again. I am afraid I will never be able to forget what that man did to me and how he stole the person I was. Every day is a struggle now. I feel I can never go back to who I was.»
Police Investigation
Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Lewis Sanderson stated: «We believe he is one of the most prolific sex offenders of all time.» Prosecutor Catherine Farrelly KC described Xu as «a bold and persistent sexual predator whose offending had steadily become more and more serious.» She added: «He was so emboldened that he was willing to strike anywhere - it appears that no woman was safe around him.»
Police believe Xu may have hundreds of unknowing victims. Up to 20 additional victims have come forward since Xu pleaded guilty to 24 offenses in August. Authorities are urging anyone who believes they were targeted to contact the Metropolitan Police. The Home Office will decide at a later date whether Xu should be deported after serving his sentence.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
