Los Angeles police are searching for potential additional survivors of a former USC doctoral student accused of drugging and then raping and sexually assaulting three women over several years.
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Prosecutors charged 30-year-old Sizhe Weng, also known as Steven, last month with eight felony counts, including rape and sodomy, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office He pleaded not guilty to all charges and is being held without bail.
Between 2021 and 2024, prosecutors allege, Weng raped three women after putting incapacitating drugs in their food and/or drinks. Police did not specify in what cities the crimes occurred, but the District Attorney’s Office urged survivors to come forward if they live locally or abroad.
Los Angeles police said they got a tip in January from German authorities regarding a potential suspect in drug-related sexual assaults in the city. Police worked with the FBI and the German Federal Criminal Police to get evidence for search and arrest warrants for the man.
Officials arrested Weng, a Chinese national studying at USC, on Aug. 28 and searched his home, where police said they found evidence of participation in drug-involved sexual assaults and rapes beginning in 2021 and continuing into 2025.
USC is cooperating with police and previously barred Weng from campus pending resolution of his criminal proceedings, a university spokesperson said in a statement. The university hasn’t received reports from potential survivors.
Weng’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 14. If convicted of all charges, he faces 25 years to a maximum life plus 56 years in California state prison. He would also be required to register as a sex offender for life.
“No one should ever have to endure the trauma of being drugged, sexually assaulted and stripped of their ability to consent,” said Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman in a statement. “Prosecutors in my office’s Sex Crimes Division and our law enforcement partners will not rest until the defendant is held accountable for these horrific acts. We want every victim to know that their voices matter and we will fight to ensure you are heard.”
Police ask anyone who believes they were a victim of Weng to call investigators at 213-486-6890 or leave an anonymous tip at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).