Inside dark and twisted life of perverted PhD student jailed for raping 10 women
Chinese PhD student Zhenhao Zou, 28, has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years for the rape of 10 women in London and China
A Chinese PhD student who drugged and raped 10 women in London and China has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years.
Zhenhao Zou, 28, kept a trophy box of women's belongings and filmed nine of the rapes on women as they lost consciousness.
Judge Rosina Cottage, sentencing Zou to 22 years and 227 days at Inner London Crown Court on Thursday, said the defendant is a "very bright young man" who used a manipulative "charming mask" to hide that he is a "sexual predator".
She said that Zou "planned and executed a campaign of rape", treating the women "callously" and as 'sex toys' for his own pleasure, which had 'devastating and long-term effects'.
Zou is reported to come from a wealthy and well-connected family. His mother works as a teacher, while his father is employed by a state-owned enterprise. It has been suggested that Zou's parents financed his stay in the UK, though witnesses say he earned some pocket money by trading luxury goods.
READ MORE: Chinese PhD student's sick trophies after raping 10 women - including polar bear sock and hair
His family owns multiple properties, including a detached house in Dongguan, a city in Guangdong province. Zou, who used the name 'Pakho' on social media, stayed there during extended visits to China.
When police raided his London residence in January of last year, his affluent lifestyle was immediately evident. Officers discovered a green Rolex Submariner and other high-end watches, along with at least 70 bottles of alcohol concealed behind a curtain in the living room.
Zou lived in an apartment building managed by the company Uncle, promoted as "a work of art" and London's tallest residential tower. Residents have access to a rooftop terrace that the company claims would "make the Shard jealous".
Detective Chief Inspector Richard Mackenzie, who led the Metropolitan Police investigation, described the scene, saying: "We found expensive jewellery and multiple shopping bags from luxury brands. Inside his wardrobe were designer clothes from Louis Vuitton, Moncler, and Burberry — many still with tags. For a student, this was unusual."
Beyond the luxury items, the police uncovered more disturbing evidence. In his wardrobe, a box contained personal items such as a key, earrings, a black dress, and hairbands — described by police as a "trophy box" of belongings taken from his victims of sexual assault.
Investigators also found components of a rape kit: a graduated dropper pipette and a hidden camera used to record Zou engaging in sexual acts with as many as five women per month. Zou told the jury that he habitually recorded consensual sexual encounters and denied any non-consensual activity.
Numerous condoms were found hidden in bedside drawers, alongside a Louis Vuitton box containing Viagra pills in a designer pouch. Police also seized bags of white powders and two 500ml brown bottles labelled "1,4-Butanediol" — a colourless liquid precursor to GHB, a drug known for its sedative effects on the nervous system. Even small amounts of GHB can be lethal.
Classified as a Class B drug, GHB is commonly referred to as "liquid ecstasy" and is known to induce euphoria and relaxation.
Among the seized drugs were dozens of Xanax tablets in blister packs. Zou explained he had suffered from insomnia since attending boarding school in China and obtained the prescription tranquillizer, typically used for anxiety disorders, from a drug dealer he met at a party.
"I took it when I couldn't sleep or was anxious," he said, denying giving the drug to anyone else.
Zou said he first tried GHB, which he called "e-liquid," after moving to London in 2019. Prior to that, he had completed a two-year mechanical engineering degree at Queen's University Belfast as an exchange student from Guangdong University of Technology, his home institution.
Frequenting some of London's largest nightclubs, Zou began using cocaine and ketamine and later experimented with GHB.
"I used it at nightclubs to get high," he stated. "It was much cheaper to buy online — the nightclub prices were significantly higher."
He purchased the drug used for drug-facilitated sexual assault from TaoBao, a Chinese online shopping platform similar to Amazon which also sells luxury and virtual goods for video games.
When police found the unopened bottles of butanediol, Zou panicked and claimed they were face moisturiser. The court heard he had undergone multiple cosmetic procedures in both London and China, including a hair transplant, eyelid surgeries, fat injections under his chin, dental adjustments, and that he wore makeup to improve his appearance.
"I didn't tell the police because I didn't want to be labelled a drug user,' Zou said.
However, evidence showed Zou had accessed Potato, an encrypted messaging app, to find instructions on drugging and sexually assaulting women.
Cached images from his phone included disturbing photos of naked Chinese women wearing face masks, unconscious on a bed. These posts advertised drugs like midazolam and sevoflurane, both used as general anaesthetics.
One listing offered a substance described as "obedient liquid," with Mandarin captions promising "guaranteed effects."
Zou, who was found guilty of sexually assaulting 10 women on March 5, was sentenced today. He will spend 22 years and 227 days in prison before he could leave on parole, taking the number of days he has already spent in prison into account - meaning the 28-year-old cannot be released from jail before 2048.
Judge Rosina Cottage today told him he was a "sexual predator", adding: "These women you treated callously and used them as sex toys for your pleasure."
If you have been affected by anything in this story or need support after rape or sexual assault, call the Rape Crisis helpline on 0808 500 2222
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