ONE of the UK’s worst rapists has been jailed for drugging and attacking women – with 24 potential victims now coming forward.
Zhenhao Zou “stupefied” his victims using vast amounts of alcohol or drugs to fulfil his depraved sexual fantasies.
Zhenhao Zou drugged then raped his victims[/caption]
He also kept creepy souvenirs from the women he attacked[/caption]
The Met are appealing for more potential victims to come forward[/caption]
He then carried out horrific sex attacks, which he filmed to keep as “souvenirs” to watch back for his “own private sexual gratification”.
Zou has now been jailed for life after he was found guilty of raping ten women between 2019 and 2023 in the UK and China.
During a hearing today, the court was told Zou had offered to be chemically castrated in the hope of receiving a lighter sentence.
After his conviction, the Met Police revealed Zou could have targeted at least 50 other women who are yet to be identified.
Since launching an international appeal in March this year, 24 women have got in touch to say they may have been raped by Zou.
Officers confirmed they will continue to liaise with the Crown Prosecution Services about future potential charges.
Detectives examined 1,270 separate videos along with nine million messages recovered from his devices to reveal more victims.
They – along with eight of the ten women Zou was convicted of raping – have not been identified by police.
Police released an image of jewellery and clothing that the fiend kept as twisted souvenirs in a bid to track down potential victims.
During his trial, jurors were told Zou first came to UK in 2017 to study engineering at Queen’s University in Belfast.
In 2019, he began a master’s degree at University College London before beginning a PhD there in 2021.
The court heard between 2019 and 2023, he raped two of the women in London, while the other eight were at unknown locations in China.
Haunting videos recovered by police showed victims being raped while they were unconscious or semi-conscious and slurring their words.
In one, the woman appeared to have bruising to her eye, cheek bone and above the eye brow.
The case was built after police found videos on cameras in his home[/caption]
One of the devices recovered by officers[/caption]
Another victim, who was drugged but conscious, cried out “I don’t want” as she was attacked by Zou.
Zou claimed some of the women were “role playing” and all consented to any footage that was taken of them.
In harrowing victim impact statements, the women told how they were too terrified to confront Zou.
Recalling an attack in 2021, one said: “Stumbling out of the room I found myself in a completely unknown place… exposed and violated without my consent.
“For a long time afterwards I blamed myself, wondering if I had given him the wrong impression.
“I hated him, but I also hated myself for failing to protect my own body.”
While a second woman told the court she still wonders “why me” following her own ordeal.
In his evidence, the fiend gave a chilling insight into his warped fantasies and revealed his “favourite” type of porn involved sleeping women.
He said he preferred it when the women “appear to be still and quiet when they are having sex”.
When asked by his lawyer Mark Cotter KC if he liked women being asleep, he continued: “Yes, that’s my favourite type. But I could not find that.”
Zou told jurors he instead watched “specialist timestop” pornography.
His depraved crimes came to light in November 2023 when one brave woman – a Chinese national – reported him to the police.
She told how she was dragged into a bedroom by Zou, who made her drink vodka laced with drugs before he raped her.
Officers raided Zou’s flat in London and found a variety of date rape drugs including Ketamine, Xanax and MDMA.
They also discovered multiple 500ml bottles of Butanediol, which is made into well-known date-rape drug GHB by the body when swallowed.
Police recovered his devices, which uncovered an “unprecedented” wealth of material for them to investigate.
They found Zou was “constantly” engaged in conversations on social media sites like WeChat and Little Red Book, which led to more than nine million messages being uncovered.
Anyone who thinks they may have been targeted by Zou to contact the force either by emailing survivors@met.police.uk or via the major incident public portal.
Police found the elements of a date-rape drug in his home[/caption]
MDMA and Ketamine was among the haul seized by cops[/caption]
Zou may have targeted 50 women[/caption]
