A serial rapist who drugged his victims and hid a camera in a London Underground station toilet has pleaded guilty to 24 sex offences.
Chao Xu, 33, planted hidden cameras in an air freshener and was found with hundreds of ‘disturbing’ images and videos of women seemingly filmed without consent.
His committed sex crimes against at least 12 women between February 2022 and June 2025, Woolwich Crown Court heard.
Officers are now appealing for more victims to come forward as they believe his offending his more widespread.
Xu, who is from China but is believed to have been living in the UK since 2013, admitted four counts of rape, eight counts of assault by penetration, and four counts of sexual assault.
He also pleaded guilty to four counts of voyeurism, two counts of administering a substance with intent, and two counts of upskirting.
The rapist’s crimes were uncovered by the Met police after a networking event he held at one of his properties in Greenwich in June.
After a woman became unwell, he offered for her to stay before raping her several times, the police said.
They discovered he had drugged her with substances known to cause drowsiness and incapacitation.
Detective Chief Inspector Lewis Sanderson called Xu a ‘calculated prolific sex offender’ who has ‘preyed on unsuspecting women using cowardly methods’.
This Is Not Right
On November 25, 2024 Metro launched This Is Not Right, a year-long campaign to address the relentless epidemic of violence against women.
With the help of our partners at Women’s Aid, This Is Not Right aims to shine a light on the sheer scale of this national emergency.
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He added: ‘Our investigation is ongoing and we continue to examine the large amount of evidence we have collected, which will help identify any further potential victim-survivors.
‘We’re also asking anyone who has any information about Xu or believes they may have been a victim to come forward – you will be listened to.’
This Is Not Right
On November 25, 2024 Metro launched This Is Not Right, a year-long campaign to address the relentless epidemic of violence against women.
With the help of our partners at Women’s Aid, This Is Not Right aims to shine a light on the sheer scale of this national emergency.
You can find more articles here, and if you want to share your story with us, you can send us an email at vaw@metro.co.uk.
Read more:
Xu pleaded not guilty to one charge of sexual assault and another of assault by penetration.
These charged were not taken forward and will now lie on file.
Xu now faces ‘a lengthy’ jail sentence according to the judge, with his sentencing hearing set for November 14.
Suzanne Crane, of the Crown Prosecution Service, added after the hearing: ‘Xu is a serious danger to women and the scale of his offending is such that without the brave testimony of victims, who came forward after realising what had happened to them, he may well have continued undetected.
‘From the outset, we worked closely with the police to build a strong case.
‘The evidence included disturbing images and videos recovered from Xu’s phone, hidden cameras, and substances commonly used to spike drinks found at his home.
‘This overwhelming evidence led to his guilty pleas today.’
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