Chao Xu, 33, had hidden camera devices in multiple locations, including inside an air freshener and in bathrooms, as well as hundreds of images and videos of women on his phone
A serial rapist who drugged victims and recorded his sick attacks on a camera hidden in an air freshener has been jailed for life. Chao Xu, 33, of Greenwich, south-east London, pleaded guilty to 24 sexual offences over the course of three years, including rape, sexual assault and upskirting.
Today, the Chinese national, who is believed to be one of the most prolific sex offenders of all time, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 14 years for multiple offences at Woolwich Crown Court.
Police were first alerted to Xu’s offending after a networking event he held at one of his home addresses in Greenwich in June. He invited one of the women in attendance to stay in his flat to recover after she became unwell. But he proceeded to rape her multiple times.
Officers discovered later that he had administered drugs to her that are known to cause drowsiness and incapacitation. Police also found Xu had hidden camera devices in multiple locations, including inside an air freshener and in bathrooms, and had hundreds of intimate images and videos of women on his phone, believed to have been obtained without consent.
The court also heard that in relation to the charges of operating equipment beneath the clothing of another without consent – known as upskirting – the defendant used cameras at a workplace and at London Bridge underground station.
In August, Xu admitted four counts of rape, eight counts of assault by penetration, four counts of sexual assault, four counts of voyeurism, two counts of administering a substance with intent, and two counts of operating equipment beneath the clothing of another without consent between February 2022 and June 2025.
The judge at the time, Recorder Simon Stirling, told Xu: “You have pleaded guilty to a large number of offences for which the inevitable outcome is a lengthy custodial sentence.”
Xu pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual assault and one count of assault by penetration but the Crown announced it would not be pursuing a trial on those charges and asked for them to lie on the file.
Acting Detective Superintendent Lewis Sanderson said: “Upon forensic examination of Xu’s phone, officers uncovered deeply disturbing material.
“The device contained videos and images taken from a point of view perspective, showing Xu raping and seriously sexually assaulting women who appear to be unconscious or heavily incapacitated.”
The officer added: “We believe he is one of the most prolific sex offenders of all time.
“He was known to host networking events at his residence, which were presented as professional gatherings, but as we now know, they were used to facilitate criminal behaviour.”
His Honour Judge Christopher Grout said Xu was an “incredibly dangerous man” who “took great enjoyment” from his offending.
The judge told Xu: “Your behaviour was calculated and planned, evidenced by the covert recording systems you had set up in your flats and the fact you had incapacitated a number of your victims by drugging them.
“You betrayed the trust of a number of women who you befriended in the most appalling ways imaginable.”
Judge Grout added that any possible deportation to China was a “matter for the Home Office”.
Wearing a navy jacket and a green t-shirt, Xu showed no reaction as he was sentenced.
In an impact statement read out to the court by Ms Farrelly, one victim said they feared becoming pregnant or getting an STI after being raped by Xu.
Discussing the attack, the woman said: “I couldn’t open my eyes or mouth nor could I move my body.
“I felt everything that he did: pulling my dress off, pulling my tights and underwear off and touching me intimately. I was horrified.
“I could just see through my eyes every now and then that he had his phone out and just knew he was taking photos and possibly videos of me.
“I’m terrified the videos he took of me that evening could have been sent on the internet.”
Another victim said they were still afraid of Xu, adding: “He has become a shadow in my heart”.
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