A doctoral student condemned for drug and violate 11 women “can be one of the most prolific sexual predators we have seen in this country,” according to the main detective in the case.
The Chinese national Zhenhao Zou, 28, attacked two women who have been identified and another eight who have not yet been tracked, according to his judgment in the crown court in the interior of London. He filmed nine of the assaults as “memories” and maintained a trophy box of victims, the jury was told.
Judge Rosina Cottage described him as a “dangerous and predatory sexual offender” and warned that he faces a very long jail term “when he is sentenced on June 19. The CDR of the Met Police, Kevin Southworth, said the video evidence suggested that there may be up to 50 more victims, who are “desperate to track.”
“Such is the insidious nature of these crimes, I think there is the possibility that many more victims survivors do not even know that, in fact, he has violated them,” he said.
Zou, who was studying at the University College London, was also declared guilty of voyeurism, possession of extreme pornographic images and false imprisonment. The crimes of which it has been convicted took place between 2019 and 2024.
Seven of the violations occurred during the pandemic in China. The evidence of these attacks was presented in the Court through videos that Zou kept himself participating in sexual acts with unconscious and semiconscious women. The police have never identified these victims.
Four of the violations took place in London. Two women were identified and testified in the Court, while the other two violations involved the same woman, which has not yet been tracked. The jury members had to do images of nine of the violations during the trial, appearing visibly distressed and received regular breaks due to the disturbing nature of the material. Some of the attacks were filmed on their floors in Bloomsbury and Elephant and Castle, while others took place in an unknown place in China.
Prosecutors were able to present charges against them for the violations committed abroad because foreign citizens living in the United Kingdom can be prosecuted for crimes committed abroad if the crime is also illegal in the country where it took place.
When he was arrested in January last year, Zou told the jury that one of the women he filmed had consented to “violate the role play” as part of a discussion about sexual preferences. “We specifically discuss the types of roles game that I like, which was the rape role game,” he said, claiming that this was the reason for the videos.
Zou, which comes from a rich family, could afford a rolex watch, a closet full of designer clothes and cosmetic procedures that include a hair and facial surgery transplant. He also paid £ 4,000 per month for rent. In addition, he maintained articles of victims, such as jewelry and clothing.
The MET Police have launched an appeal to locate any other potential victim. “If you are a woman who somehow had one by one with this Zou man, then we would like to know about you,” said CDR Southworth.
Saira Pike of the Crown Prosecutor's Office praised the survivors, saying: “I would like to express my sincere thanks to the brave women who presented themselves to inform the heinous crimes of Zhenhao Zou. They have been incredibly strong and brave, there is no doubt that their evidence helped us to ensure today's verdict. Zou is a rapist in series and a danger to women. “
Zou was convicted of 11 charges of rape, including two crimes against a victim, three voyeurism positions, 10 positions of possession of an extreme pornographic image, a false imprisonment charge and three positions of possession of a controlled drug with the intention of committing a sexual crime. It was acquitted of two positions of possession of extreme pornographic images and five positions of possession of controlled drugs with the intention of committing a sexual crime.
(BBC)