A court in China has convicted the son of a high-profile army general and sentenced him to 10 years in jail for rape, state media say.
The court said Li Tianyi, 17, and four others raped the woman at a Beijing hotel in February after having drinks. He had denied any sexual relations with the woman, whom he alleged was working as a prostitute, previous reports say.
Li Tianyi is the son of army Gen. Li Shuangjiang, known for his renditions of patriotic songs on television. BBC says Li Tianyi’s mother Meng Ge is also a well-known singer in China’s People’s Liberation Army.
The case was heard at the Haidian Court in north-west Beijing. The other defendants also received jail terms ranging from three to 12 years.
This was not the first time that Li Tianyi, also known as Li Guanfeng, was involved in an incident that sparked public outcry.
In 2011, he was sentenced to detention for a year over a road rage incident.
He was behind the wheel of a BMW car with no licence plates in Beijing when he confronted a middle-aged couple in another vehicle blocking his way.
He assaulted the couple and shouted at shocked bystanders, telling them not to “dare to call the police.”
His father apologised to the couple over the incident.