Recruitment entrepreneur Chao Xu, 33, has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 14 years after admitting to 24 sex offenses including rape, drugging victims, and covert filming. The Chinese national was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court today, with police describing him as one of the most prolific sex offenders ever investigated in Britain.
Xu preyed on women by hosting networking events at his Greenwich flat, where he offered guests a "Spring of Life" cocktail laced with powerful sedatives including GHB and scopolamine. He raped unconscious victims and installed hidden cameras in household items like air fresheners and sanitary products to film women without their knowledge. Police also discovered hundreds of upskirting videos taken at London Bridge station, primarily targeting women aged 18 to 30.
Police Appeal for Hundreds More Victims
Metropolitan Police believe Xu may have victimized hundreds of women who remain unaware they were drugged and assaulted. Detective Superintendent Lewis Sanderson said: «We believe he is one of the most prolific sex offenders of all time.» Up to 20 additional victims have come forward since Xu pleaded guilty in August. Police are checking six million WeChat messages in Mandarin to identify more potential victims.
Prosecutor Catherine Farrelly KC told the court Xu was «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.» Judge Christopher Grout said: «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.» Xu admitted four counts of rape, eight of assault by penetration, four of sexual assault, four of voyeurism, and two counts each of administering a substance with intent and upskirting between November 2021 and June 2025. The Home Office will decide at a later date whether to deport him.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
