Real estate agent posed as pimp/gangster to defraud young woman into having sex
A creep estate agent posed as a fake Chinese gangster to threaten and blackmail a young Monash University student into having sex with him. But her torment didn’t end there.
Outer East
Don't miss out on the headlines from Outer East. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A young Monash University student was so terrified by a real estate estate agent posing as a pimp and gangster that she had sex with him at a listed property — and it got a lot worse.
Ruibo “Bob” Zhang was as an agent for AlexKarbon Real Estate when he tormented the 23-year-old Chinese woman, the County Court heard.
Zhang – posing as a pimp called “Jason” – met his victim via WeChat in September, 2018.
Zhang, from Box Hill South, offered the woman work as a “high-end” escort earning up to $10,000 a week.
He arranged for her to attend an “interview” at a Southbank apartment where she had to have sex with “someone young and handsome”.
Zhang posed as the “interviewer” arranged by Jason and had sex with his victim.
About two weeks later, Zhang messaged the woman to say he had lined up work for her.
Zhang said the customer was a “boss for a big listed company in China” and she would earn $6000-$8000.
Zhang told the woman she had to do another “interview” at a AlexKarbon listed property in Keysborough before the job but she declined.
This angered Zhang, who sent her a barrage of threatening texts referencing her real name, where she lived and where she studied, and demanding she cough up $589 in bogus costs for the cancelled interview.
The woman, who believed Zhang was a gangster, met him at the property and gave him $600 and had sex with him out fear.
Zhang messaged her several weeks later to demand she pay almost $600 for “some sexy uniforms and outfits”.
“You have two days. If money is not paid by Saturday, we’ll come after you. And expose your photos,” he wrote.
Zhang then demanded $2000 and threatened her with gang rape if she didn’t pay up.
“You really want to die, darling?”, he wrote. “We’ll torture you to death.”
The victim reported Zhang to police who initiated a sting operation to snare him.
He was arrested in Southbank while attempting to collect the $2000.
AlexKarbon terminated Zhang’s employment almost immediately after his arrest.
Zhang, 30, pleaded guilty in the County Court on November 20 to two counts of procuring sexual act by fraud, blackmail and making a threat to kill.
Chinese national Zhang was on a temporary work visa while he offended, the court heard.
He studied business at Deakin University before landing the AlexKarbon gig.
Zhang – aided by an English translator – said through his defence counsel that “learning English” was a great way to move forward.
MORE MELB UNI CREEP SEXUALLY ASSAULTED SCHOOLGIRL
BILLBOARD RAPIST FILMED SCHOOLGIRL SEX ATTACK
MELBOURNE SOCIALITE STOLE MILLIONS TO LURE HOLLYWOOD STARS
It was pleaded, Zhang was “sensible, reliable and kind” and his previous good character was “at odds with the events of this indictment”.
An AlexKarbon representative also gave Zhang a reference but its unclear if the company is aware he used its properties to commit crimes.
Judge Anne Hassan remanded Zhang into custody to be sentenced on November 27.