In a trial at the Berlin Regional Court (Landgericht Berlin), prosecutors have accused 68-year-old electrician Frank S. of drugging, raping, and filming women in his apartment. The indictment lists 14 victims and 22 alleged offenses, four of which are being pursued by co-plaintiffs.
During the proceedings, investigators presented evidence including a permanently installed white camera in the defendant's bedroom, pointed at his bed, and a recording of his computer screen showing past ChatGPT queries about the dosage of Midazolam, a strong sedative and sleeping medication.
The indictment lists 14 victims and 22 alleged offenses against Frank S.
Frank S., a single electrician with two adult daughters, allegedly met his victims, who were between 50 and 60 years old, through online dating platforms. He is said to have posed as a helicopter pilot or police commissioner to appear trustworthy, and to have mixed sedatives into drinks such as cocktails to render them unconscious or defenseless.
Frank S. confessed to the rapes, saying, 'I admit the rapes.' Frank S.'s defense lawyer confirmed the accuracy of the description of the 22 acts but deferred comment on the sedating substances, stating, 'He will only comment on the mixing of sedating substances at a later date.'
I admit the rapes.
The case came to light following a tip from police in Verden an der Aller in Lower Saxony. Frank S. had chatted under the alias 'Zeppelin70' with a man who allegedly drugged and abused his wife. Investigators later traced him using an email address provided by a website host, following tips from journalists at the German public broadcaster NDR.
A search of his apartment uncovered the camera, boxes of medications, syringes, and needles. Frank S. attributed the medications to his paramedic training and sleep disorders. An evaluation of his digital materials identified 58 affected women, though 10 remain unidentified. He allegedly organized recordings of the assaults in folders labeled with victims' first names and locations.
One victim's murmured words during the assaults were quoted: 'Please, please don't, I can't do this anymore.'
Some alleged offenses date back to 2010 but are considered expired under the statute of limitations. The prosecution is seeking preventive detention in addition to a prison sentence. Frank S. has been in pre-trial detention since his arrest. The timing of the police searches has been disputed, with some reports indicating June 2025 and others March 2025 and March 2026.
Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) spoke in mid-June in favor of extending the statute of limitations for rape. Separately, Project Medusa, a joint operation involving the German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), state police forces, and Europol, identified 156 victims and suspects in late June.
