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USC Doctoral Student Charged in Drug-Facilitated Rapes as LAPD Seeks More Victims

A tip from German police prompted a Los Angeles probe that recovered corroborating evidence, leading to the suspect’s jailing without bail.

Overview

  • Prosecutors have filed eight felony counts, including rape, sodomy and sexual penetration involving drugs or anesthesia, tied to alleged assaults from 2021 to 2025.
  • He pleaded not guilty on Sept. 2 and remains held without bail at the Twin Towers jail.
  • If convicted, he faces 25 years to life plus 56 years in state prison, with a required lifetime sex-offender registration, and his next court date is Jan. 14, 2026.
  • LAPD says evidence recovered at his residence corroborates drug-facilitated assaults, and the District Attorney alleges three rapes followed incapacitating drugs placed in food or drinks.
  • Authorities say intoxicating substances with effects similar to Rohypnol were used, they have not identified a specific drug, and investigators are asking additional victims locally and abroad to contact detectives while exploring whether the conduct extended beyond the USC area.