Luiz Da Silva Neto. (Thames Valley Police)
A “monster” who drugged and sexually assaulted one man before raping another in Oxfordshire, England, has been jailed for 22 years.
Warning: sexual assault.
Luiz Da Silva Neto, 36, spiked the drinks of his victims on two separate occasions at a cottage in Oxfordshire last November and December, according to the Thames Valley Police.
Both victims woke up in the cottage naked with no idea what had happened to them, the Oxford Crown Court heard.
While in town for work, the first victim had drunk alcohol at Da Silva Neto’s property in Middle Barton only to feel “suddenly tired”, the court heard.
Recalling passing out while fully clothed, he woke up to find himself “paralysed” as the defendant performed oral sex on him with pornography playing in the background, Sky News reported.
The victim was unable to move their limbs as Da Silva Neto had given him gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), a date rape drug that often immobilises the user and makes their memory hazy at best.
He noticed what he described as a syringe lying on the kitchen counter.
Another victim saw his night out partying at high-end west London bar Raffles end in terror when he met Da Silva Neto as he flagged a cab.
Da Silva Neto drove the victim in a hire car to his cottage before raping him – all the man remembers is being made to drink a beverage.
Prosecutor Matthew Walsh said Da Silva Neto spiked the drinks with GHB, a drug which he said acts as an “aphrodisiac” with “euphoric and hallucinogenic effects”.
GHB is a colourless, odourless liquid that is typically diluted in drinks and swallowed. British criminals such as serial killer Stephen Port and Reynhard Sinaga have used GHB to carry out their crimes.
Police found bottles which contained traces of the drug at Da Silva Neto’s property.
The victim had no recollection of the night before, leaving him “confused, distressed and upset” as he made his way back to London.
Months on, both victims described in statements to the court how the attacks continue to haunt them.
“My life changed forever, never to be the same again,” said the first victim, adding: “I live with this alone every day.”
But he said the perpetrator being behind bars will “protect others from this monster”.
The second said he lives with “severe anxiety” and finds it difficult to “hear of the awful things this man did to me”.
Judge Michael Gledhill QC found Da Silva Neto guilty of one count of rape, two counts of forcing a male to engage in sexual activist without consent and two counts of administering a substance to stupefy to allow sexual activity.
He was cleared of kidnapping the second victim, committing an offence with the intent to commit a sexual offence and count of administering a substance to stupefy to allow sexual activity.
Thames Valley Police Detective Inspector James Holden-White said: “I am pleased that Luiz Inacio Da Silva Neto has been jailed for 22 years for his heinous crimes.
“Da Silva Neto is a sexual predator and a very dangerous man, as such the streets are a much safer place with him behind bars.
“Da Silva Neto used what presents as a well-practised modus operandi; targeting men, administering a substance to incapacitate and overpower his chosen victim, and then engaging in sexual activity with them, knowing they are not in a position to consent.”
“The two victims have shown immense bravery throughout and it is because of them that Da Silva Neto has been convicted and jailed,” he added.
Holden-White said police will keep an “open mind” to whether Da Silva Neto had any other victims.
“Therefore, if you have any information regarding this investigation please contact Thames Valley Police via the following email address OperationJion@thamesvalley.police.uk,” he said.
“Alternatively, you can make a report online or call 101, quoting reference ‘Operation Jion’. You can also report anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or via its website.”
Rape Crisis England and Wales work towards the elimination of sexual violence. If you’ve been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can access more information on their website or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999.
Rape Crisis Scotland’s helpline number is 08088 01 03 02.
Readers in the US are encouraged to contact RAINN, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800-656-4673.