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A PhD student who charmed women so he could drug, video and attack them has been convicted of 11 rapes on 10 women in London and China.
Zhenhao Zou, 28, was convicted by a jury at Inner London crown court on Wednesday, after more than 18 hours of deliberations.
He was convicted of raping three women in London and seven in China, between 2019 and 2024. He filmed most of his rapes, and the videos provided key evidence leading to him being convicted and facing years in jail.
Most of his victims, who in the videos are unconscious or stupefied because of the drugs he was alleged to have given them, are as yet unidentified. He ignored their pleas to stop his attacks as they lost consciousness after being drugged, videos played in court showed.
Zou told the jury he was a user of extreme pornography who was aroused most by watching videos of sex with unconscious women, as well as by rape roleplay.
He denied the 35-count indictment, but was convicted of 11 rapes, as well as possessing extreme pornography including of women being raped while unconscious, having butanediol to commit rape, and a single count of false imprisonment.
In court, Zou, who was studying engineering at University College London, bragged of having “five new sexual partners every month”.
Victims gave harrowing accounts of their ordeal.
The prosecutor, Catherine Farrelly KC, said Zou appeared respectable and a gentleman, but the reality was different. “He was a wolf in sheep’s clothing and every woman’s nightmare,” she said.
“He was a man who was sexually excited by having sex with a sleeping woman … and sexually excited by the idea of rape. He is a serial rapist, he is a predator. He would use drink or drugs to incapacitate women.”
During one video, a woman said: “I really don’t want … I beg you, don’t do this …” and Zou replied: “Don’t push me, it’s pointless … The sound insulation here is very good.”
His tactic was to invite women to his home in Woburn Place, central London, or a flat in south London, for drinks or to study. He met them socially or via dating apps.
One victim went to Zou’s home for drinks, which were drugged, and later felt tired. Zou had sex with her. She told police: “I can’t fight back, I have no strength,” and was raped while unconscious, the court heard. Video of the incident shot by a camera on a bedside table confirmed her account.
The woman’s speech was slurred, and she complained of feeling unwell and wanting to go home, later telling Zou not to restrain her. She screamed and tried to get up from the bed on several occasions, with the defendant pushing her back down.
The first woman went to the Met on 18 November 2023. Zou was not arrested, and two days later flew to China. He was arrested on his return to the UK in January 2024.
Zou gave evidence during the trial across five days, changing his evidence as he went along.
In a police interview he claimed he had one date rape drug for use as a moisturiser for dry skin, but then changed his story before the jury to claim he used it to get high when he went out clubbing. In fact, it was used to carry out his attacks.
Zou said he was “in the habit” of videoing himself having sex.
He first came to Britain to study in 2017 at Queen’s University Belfast. Two years later he started studying at UCL.
The jury were given a majority direction for four remaining counts about whether drugs Zou is alleged to have had were used to help him rape his victims.
The jury was told that searches of Zou’s London home had found drugs including MDMA, butanediol, ketamine, Xanax and alprazolam.
