USC PhD student confesses to drugging and raping women, taking horrifying photos: cops

A Chinese national earning his Ph.D at a prestigious California University allegedly confessed to the sickening crimes of drugging, tying up and sexually assaulting three women before taking horrifying photos of them in “sexually explicit” positions, prosecutors said.

Sizhe Wang, 30, was a doctoral student studying electrical engineering at the University of Southern California when he drugged his victims by slipping powder in their food and drinks between 2021 and 2024, according to a prosecutor’s motion cited by the L.A. Times. 

Wang tied the unconscious women up with leather straps and continued to drug them with syringes and tubing in their anuses before raping or sexually assaulting them, the motion states. 

Wang allegedly confessed to drugging, tying up and sexually assaulting three women before taking horrifying photos of them in “sexually explicit” positions. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

During the nightmarish attacks, he posed his nude victims in sexual positions and took Polaroids and digital images of them, according to the motion.

Weng allegedly described the three assaults “at length and in detail” to Los Angeles Police Department detectives after his arrest on Aug. 28,  according to the Sept. 2 motion by L.A. County Deputy District Attorney Catherine Mariano.

Weng’s first victim was a childhood friend, known as Jane Doe 1, who took a trip to San Diego with him in December 2021, according to the motion.

When his friend wasn’t looking, he put crushed benzodiazepine pills in her drink at a bar, the motion states.

He then he used a syringe and tubing to inject her anally with the sedative midazolam,  tied her up with leather straps and vaginally and anally raped her, the motion said.

Wang was studying for his Ph.D at the University of Southern California when he allegedly drugged and raped three women. Hanson – stock.adobe.com

In photos he took, she  “appeared unconscious with a plastic dental device in her mouth exposing her gums and teeth,” the motion states.

Other photos showed her “placed in different positions highlighting her vaginal and anal areas while her legs remained bound with leather straps.”

His next victim, known  as Jane Doe 2, was a friend who flew from China to study in the U.S, who he also drugged, raped and posed, according to the motion.

His third, known as Jane Doe 3, was a classmate in Weng’s doctoral program whom he considered a close friend, according to the motion.

“Based on the investigation, we suspect there are more victims, and some of those victims may not know what happened,” said LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told the paper. “We are looking at patterns of activity and we have evidence that says there are other victims.”

While in his bugged jail cell, investigators say they recorded Weng saying that he would return to China if he made bail, according to the motion. China has no extradition agreement with the U.S.

At his home, police allegedly found a medicine bottle with liquid that tested positive for midazolam,  which Weng allegedly injected into the women’s anuses.

The investigators also found several pinhole cameras  and electronic devices “believed to contain additional images and/or videos of defendant drugging and sexually assaulting women,” the motion states.

They also found leather straps, syringes, red tubing and dental mouth devices, he used on the women during the twisted attacks.

Weng co-authored at least two dozen academic papers and worked in the lab of Stephen Cronin, a prominent USC engineering professor, the LA Times reported.

He was charged with rape, sodomy and sexual penetration by use of a controlled substance or anesthesia. He pleaded not guilty.