A SEXUAL predator has targeted heterosexual men and believes they are less likely to come forward and police believe there could be many more victims.
Luiz Inacio Da Silva Neto, 36, administered the drinks to his victims with an unknown drug – possibly GHB or GBL – and then sexually assaulted them, knowing they were not in a position to agree, Oxford Crown Court heard.
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Claire Beards, of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said Da Silva Neto “opportunistically targeted” his victims in November and December 2021.
His comments came after a jury at Oxford Crown Court found him guilty of rape, two counts of intentionally administering a drug and two counts of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.
Da Silva Neto assaulted his first victim at a home in Middle Barton, Oxfordshire.
They had shots of Jagermeister before the man began to feel tired and went to bed fully clothed before waking up naked.
As he left the property, the victim noticed what he described as a syringe on the side of the kitchen and became convinced he was intoxicated, the court heard.
Da Silva Neto told the trial “he agrees” and “woke up” when the two had intimate contact.
A married man who was with work colleagues in the central London hotspot Raffles one evening, became Da Silva Neto’s second victim a month later, the court heard.
He told the jury he had vague memories of events that night.
This included feeling “strange” when he spoke to the porter at the club, that a cup of “dark brown liquid” was being held against his lips at one point and waking up naked in a strange room .
Da Silva Neto said he was “high” and looking for drugs that night, but claimed the married man did not look intoxicated when they met and he denied injecting the man’s drink.
After the verdicts, the CPS said the victims’ testimony in court, along with the drug evidence and the expert analysis on the effects it could have, was key to the case.
District Crown Prosecutor Claire Beards said: “Luiz Inacio Da Silva Neto opportunistically targeted his victims by intoxicating them and then sexually assaulted them when they were not in a position to agree.
Luiz Inacio Da Silva Neto opportunistically targeted his victims by drugging them and then sexually assaulting them when they were in no position to agree.
District Attorney Claire Beards
“He denied any wrongdoing and claimed that his actions were all consensual. However, thanks to the incredible bravery of the victims to come forward with their bills and support drug evidence, we were able to build a strong case against him so that the jury could be sure he is guilty.
“I hope today’s verdict brings both of those men a sense of justice.”
Da Silva Neto, from Wandsworth, South London, will be sentenced on July 7 at Oxford Crown Court.
Thames Valley Police (TVP) said he had earlier pleaded guilty to seven charges of drug possession at an earlier trial for drugs including MDMA, methylamphetamine, cocaine, ketamine and marijuana.
‘A VERY DANGEROUS MAN’
Following the verdict of investigating officer, Detective Inspector James Holden-White described Da Silva Neto as “a sexual predator and a very dangerous man”.
He deliberately targeted heterosexual men who he believes would be particularly unlikely to report the crimes to the police.
“He is rude, there is an arrogance about it, that he thinks he can get away with this kind of thing,” Holden-White said.
“He knows that in the target of heterosexual men, who are a demographic of the population, who are extremely unlikely to think that something like this would ever happen to them in the first place, but even more unlikely to emerge.
“Any victim of sexual offenses will find it very difficult to come forward for various reasons, but for straight men it may be the most unlikely group to come forward or those who will find it most difficult to do so. .
“THERE MAY BE OTHER VICTIMS”
“This, we believe, is exactly why he targeted heterosexual men in this particular case, and it therefore seems entirely possible that he may have offended before and that there may be other victims out there.”
He explained GHB, derivatives and related compounds, known as GHBRS, are “extremely dangerous as there are very fine margins between what can be considered a relaxation dose, a dose that may be inappropriate and a lethal dose.”
He added that GHBRS can appear as a colorless and odorless liquid that is difficult to identify, and even small amounts, which can make a person unfit, can be easily hidden in a conventional drink. “
The Metropolitan Police said Da Silva Neto lived in Wandsworth, south-west London, and his detectives are working closely with TVP “as we understand the impact it will have on communities in London and we keep an open mind about whether Da Silva Neto may have committed other offenses. ”
The force said anyone with information or who was affected by the case should contact the police of a specialist support agency.
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