LONDON, UK — A University College London, UCL, PhD student has been convicted of multiple rapes across two continents in what police fear may be one of the worst cases of serial sexual assault ever seen in the UK.
Zhenhao Zou, 28, was found guilty at Inner London Crown Court of 11 counts of rape involving 10 women, as well as charges of voyeurism, drug possession with intent to facilitate rape, and false imprisonment.
Police fear he may have attacked as many as 50 more women, many of whom remain unidentified.
Zou, originally from Dongguan City in southern China, used hidden cameras to record his assaults, stockpiled drugs including the “date rape” substance GHB, and stored thousands of videos documenting his crimes.
Luxury London Flat Housed ‘Rape Factory’
When police arrested Zou in January 2024, he was living in a £4,000-per-month apartment on the 39th floor of a luxury high-rise in London’s Elephant and Castle district.
Inside his bedroom, officers discovered an array of concealed cameras, a wardrobe stocked with alcohol, ecstasy, and chemicals capable of rendering victims unconscious.
A pipette used to measure doses of the dangerous liquid was also found.
The most damning evidence, however, was the 1,277 videos stored on his electronic devices, many of which showed Zou raping unconscious women.
“This man may well turn out to be one of the most prolific sexual predators that we’ve ever seen in this country,” said Commander Kevin Southworth of the Metropolitan Police.
Attacks Spanned Two Countries, Victims Unaware
Zou’s crimes took place in both the UK and China, with video evidence suggesting that some victims never realised they had been attacked.
Footage retrieved from his phone and computers showed seven women being raped in China, identified in court only as Females B to H.
Many appeared completely unconscious, while one struggled to maintain consciousness and another could be heard snoring.
In London, police found disturbing videos of Female A, an unidentified victim filmed in Zou’s student accommodation in Bloomsbury.
In one clip, she awoke during the assault and pleaded with him to stop. “I hate you,” she said.
Zou dismissed her protests, replying: “It’s pointless. The sound insulation here is very good.”
Police were initially unable to extract the audio from the footage, allowing Zou to claim the encounter had been consensual.
When forensic specialists later recovered the sound, proving that Female A had been drugged and was begging him to stop, Zou changed his defence, insisting it was “rape role play.”
‘Machiavellian Individual’ Targeted Women on Social Media
Investigators believe Zou deliberately targeted women through social settings and social media before luring them back to his apartment, where he spiked their drinks.
“He would commit those sexual assaults while they were incapacitated and possibly even while they were asleep and completely unaware,” said Commander Southworth.
Ms N, a Chinese student who testified against Zou, met him in May 2023 while he was helping her with maths.
She later attended a party at his high-rise block, where he encouraged her to continue drinking in his flat.
Video evidence showed Zou repeatedly urging her to “finish the drink.”
She later woke up to find herself being raped.
Uncertain of the law and discouraged by police officers’ handling of her initial report—including a mistranslation of her emergency call—Ms N chose not to pursue the case at first.
However, when police found videos of Zou attacking her, they contacted her again, leading her to testify in court.
Another survivor, Ms L, met Zou in 2021 when she was 19.
After a night of drinking in London’s Chinatown, she had little memory of how she ended up in his flat.
“When I woke up I found him on top of me having sex,” she said.
A ‘Trophy Box’ of Souvenirs and Hidden Cameras
A police search of Zou’s flat uncovered four spy cameras and a yellow Fendi “trophy box” containing jewellery and clothing believed to belong to his victims.
Detectives found no electronic devices from his time at Queen’s University Belfast, where he completed his undergraduate degree, leaving unanswered questions about whether his crimes may have started earlier.
A Global Warning and a Call for More Victims to Come Forward
Zou’s conviction marks one of the first cases where a UK court has prosecuted rapes committed abroad.
“It was really important that we fight for them,” said Saira Pike from the Crown Prosecution Service, referring to the victims who were seen being attacked on video but remain unidentified.
The Metropolitan Police are now urging any woman who may have spent time alone with Zou—whether in China or the UK—to come forward.
“Such is the insidious nature of this offending, I think there is a possibility that many more victim survivors may not even know that he has raped them,” Commander Southworth said.
Zou is expected to face sentencing in the coming weeks.
