Greenwich Man Jailed for Life as Met’s Most Prolific Sex Offender
A Chinese man from Greenwich has been locked up for life after being named one of the Metropolitan Police’s most notorious sex offenders. Chao Xu, 33, was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court to life imprisonment with a minimum of 14 years behind bars.
Shocking List of Crimes Revealed
Xu pleaded guilty to a staggering 24 offences against six women. His charges include:
- 4 counts of rape
- 8 counts of assault by penetration
- 4 sexual assaults
- 2 counts of administering substances with intent
- 4 voyeurism charges
- 2 counts of upskirting
He is now on the sex offenders register for life.
Disturbing Tricks to Trap Victims
Police uncovered Xu’s sick modus operandi. He used university and professional networking events held at his home to lure women in. Xu plied them with alcohol and a concoction he called the “Spring of Life” — a cocktail of booze mixed with Chinese herbs meant to drug his victims.
His capture came when a woman managed to call 999 from his home, claiming she’d been drugged and assaulted. Searches revealed hidden cameras, suspicious substances, and thousands of photos and videos of unconscious women. The seized devices contained a mountain of digital evidence.
Hundreds More Victims Feared
So far, police have identified seven victims of serious sexual assault; three have been tracked down. Officers warn that hundreds more women may have been targeted in the UK and China, with offences ranging from voyeurism and upskirting to sexual assault.
Since a police appeal in August, 11 more women have come forward. Detectives are now combing through millions of files, including six million WeChat messages, in one of the Met’s largest digital forensic investigations ever.
“I have reached the inevitable conclusion that you are an incredibly dangerous man,” said Judge Grout. “Your behaviour was calculated and planned. You betrayed the trust of a number of women in the most appalling ways imaginable. You are a sexual predator who will gain the trust and confidence of women before raping and sexually assaulting them.”
The judge also warned Xu, a foreign national, faces deportation back to China once he serves his sentence.
