‘Sexual predator’ student, 27, ‘drugged & raped ten unconscious women then took videos to keep as chilling souvenirs’

A SEXUAL predator student drugged and raped ten unconscious women then took photos to keep as souvenirs, a court heard.

Zhenhao Zou is accused of "stupefying" the women using vast amounts of alcohol or drugs to render them incapacitated.

The 27-year-old would then carry out sex attacks, which he filmed to keep as "souvenirs", jurors were told.

Inner London Crown Court heard Zou would watch the videos back for his "own private sexual gratification";.

The University College London student is accused of carrying out the assaults between 2019 and 2023.

He denies 11 charges of rape on ten alleged victims, 12 of possession of an extreme pornographic images and three counts of voyeurism.

Zou is also charged with one of false imprisonment and eight counts of possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply.

The court heard he raped two of the women in London, while the other eight were at unknown locations in China.

Prosecutor Catherine Farrelly, KC, said: "To the outside world, Zhenhao Zou undoubtedly presents as a smart and charming young man.

"However, as you know from the indictment in this case which contains 35 allegations against him, the prosecution says that he is also a persistent sexual predator, a voyeur and a rapist.

"The prosecution case at this trial is that he would meet women, he would stupefy them, either with drink or drugs, and, once they were significantly under the influence of those drinks or drugs, he would then rape them.

"Often, he would record himself doing so. During this trial you will be shown several recordings which the prosecution says are the defendant’s souvenirs of the many rapes that he had committed - items that he kept for his own private sexual gratification, so that he could watch, at his leisure, his rapes of these women, who he had rendered often unconscious and totally vulnerable to his will."

The court heard Zou is accused of raping ten women, although eight of these have not been identified by police.

The case is based on videos found on his mobile phone and two cameras also seized from his home.

One of the recordings showed Zou stood over a woman, who appeared "upset".

Jurors heard he could be heard encouraging her to finish her drink as she begged to go home.

Ms Farrelly said: "She asks the defendant not to restrain her and tells him that he is controlling her.

"At one point in the recording, she can be heard screaming repeatedly and she appears to try and get up from the bed on several occasions, and the defendant pushes her back down each time."

Zou claims some of the women were "role playing" and all consented to any footage taken of them.

He first came to UK in 2017 to study engineering at Queen’s University in Belfast.

In 2019, Zou began a master’s degree at University College London before beginning a PhD there in 2021.

He denies all 35 charges against him and the trial continues.