Police fear the PhD student convicted of drugging and raping 10 women could be one of the worst sexual offenders in British history after recovering videos of him attacking a further 50 victims.
Zhenhao Zou, 28, was convicted on Wednesday 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 gave 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.
Some victims may not even know they were attacked because of the effect of the drugs Zou slipped them. Some jurors were left in tears as they watched videos of his attacks.
The Guardian understands that 32 of the videos Zou made of rapes were carried out in Britain. Detectives who investigated him believe he may have had about 100 victims in Britain and China. One new potential victim came forward in the last week, with more expected as news of his convictions and method of offending spreads.
In all police recovered 58 videos of rapes filmed by Zou, his victims being young women of Chinese heritage.
Detectives are still examining mountains of evidence, including millions of social media messages in Mandarin.
Zou told the jury at Inner London crown court he was a user of extreme pornography who was aroused most by watching videos of sex with unconscious women, as well as by rape role play.
He is the subject of what is believed to be the biggest rape investigation in Britain. The Metropolitan police have appealed for anyone who fears they may have been a victim of the seemingly charming well-off student to contact them.
Zou, who was studying engineering at University College London, bragged in court of having “five new sexual partners every month”.
The Met commander Kevin Southworth said Zou was “predatory and cowardly” and one of the worst offenders police had investigated in recent times. The effect of the date-rape drugs he used could mean victims may not know Zou attacked them.
Southworth said: “This man may well turn out to be one of the most prolific sexual offenders we have ever seen in this country.
“Some women may not know they were victims.”
Zou, a Chinese national, was convicted of 28 counts, including 11 rapes on 10 women and one count of false imprisonment.
He was also found guilty of 10 counts of possessing extreme pornography, three of voyeurism and three of committing an offence, namely of possessing butanediol, to commit rape. Once in the human body it is metabolised into the date rape drug GHB.
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.
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, but Zou pushed 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.
Police found designer clothing at Zou’s London home, some of which still had tags on, and a box believed to contain “souvenirs” of his victims.
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, but then changed his story before the jury to claim he had used it to get high when he went out clubbing.
The jury was told that searches of Zou’s London home had found a cache of drugs.
He was acquitted of seven counts, including of possessing MDMA, ketamine and alprazolam so he could commit rape, and two counts of possessing an extreme pornographic image.
Zou said he was “in the habit” of filming himself having sex. He first came to Britain to study in 2017 at Queen’s University Belfast. He began his studies at UCL two years later.
The judge, Rosina Cottage KC, warned Zou she was considering a life sentence and told his barrister: “I find your client is a dangerous and predatory sexual offender.
“He need be in no doubt that the sentence will be very long.”
He will be sentenced on 19 June.
Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of Zou can contact police on this portal.
• Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html
