A Chinese national pursuing his Ph.D. at a renowned California University has been accused of committing heinous crimes involving drugging, restraining, and sexually assaulting three women while taking explicit photos of them, prosecutors revealed.
Sizhe Wang, a 30-year-old doctoral student studying electrical engineering at the University of Southern California, allegedly drugged his victims by secretly adding powder to their food and drinks between the years 2021 and 2024, as per a prosecutor’s motion cited by the LA Times.
Wang reportedly incapacitated the women with benzodiazepine pills and sedatives, then proceeded to restrain them using leather straps and continued to drug them with syringes and tubing inserted anally before sexually assaulting them.
During these horrifying attacks, Wang positioned the unconscious victims in sexually suggestive poses and captured Polaroids and digital images of them, the motion stated.
After his arrest on August 28, Wang purportedly provided detailed descriptions of the three assaults to the Los Angeles Police Department detectives, as outlined in the September 2 motion by L.A. County Deputy District Attorney Catherine Mariano.
The first victim, known as Jane Doe 1, was a childhood friend who accompanied Wang on a trip to San Diego in December 2021. Wang allegedly laced her drink with crushed benzodiazepine pills and subsequently injected her anally with a sedative before sexually assaulting her while she was bound with leather straps.
Subsequently, Wang’s second victim, identified as Jane Doe 2, was a friend from China who traveled to the U.S. to study. She also fell prey to Wang’s drugging, sexual assault, and objectifying photography, according to the motion.
The third victim, Jane Doe 3, was a classmate in Wang’s doctoral program whom he considered a close friend, the motion revealed.
Law enforcement officials suspect that there may be additional victims who are unaware of the crimes perpetrated against them. LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton stated that investigations are ongoing to identify any potential patterns of criminal behavior and uncover any other victims.
While in custody, Wang was recorded expressing intentions to flee to China if he were to be released on bail, as China does not have an extradition agreement with the U.S.
Authorities searching Wang’s residence discovered a medicine bottle containing liquid that tested positive for the sedative midazolam, which Wang allegedly administered anally to his victims. Additionally, investigators found pinhole cameras, electronic devices containing potential incriminating images and videos, leather straps, syringes, red tubing, and dental mouth devices used during the assaults.
Wang, who co-authored numerous academic papers and worked in the lab of USC engineering professor Stephen Cronin, faced charges of rape, sodomy, and sexual penetration by use of controlled substances or anesthesia. He entered a plea of not guilty to the charges.
