German Courts Convict Three Men over Telegram Chats Used to Drug and Rape Women

German prosecutors have secured convictions against three men tied to Telegram group chats that authorities say were used to plan and document the drugging and rape of women, CBS News reported. " Investigators examined several years of posts across about two dozen groups believed to form a predator network targeting mostly Chinese women in Germany.

Dapeng Z. Was sentenced in February to 14 years in prison for aggravated rape, attempted murder and other offenses after shifting from targeting acquaintances to strangers met online. , a 32-year-old trained medic, was convicted on Wednesday of being an accessory to rape and other charges and sentenced to five years.

A third man was also convicted on rape and related counts.

A fourth defendant is currently on trial in Berlin. " Attorney Magdalena Gebhard said an inner circle of eight perpetrators existed, though some groups had up to 50,000 members. Fu Xiao traveled 500 kilometers to Berlin last week to attend proceedings.

"What makes one really angry is to see that such groups hate women, they have no respect," she said. " The investigation prompted international cooperation. German investigators contacted Los Angeles police last year about a Chinese graduate student accused of assaults in California.

Dutch police arrested four men last month after receiving information from German and U.K. authorities. Europol announced "Project Medusa" last week, an operation led by Germany and the U.K. that has produced 57 arrests targeting similar networks.

The probe remains open, with the possibility of further arrests and additional identified victims, German authorities said.