Death penalty for tycoon rapist

A former lawmaker has been sentenced to death in China for raping more than 20 young girls, according to reports.

Millionaire businessman Wu Tianxi began his campaign of rape after being told by a fortune-teller that having sex with virgins would prolong his health.

The People's Daily reported that the 61-year-old, from Henan province, was aiming to have sex with 100 virgins.

A woman who helped Wu to track down the girls - aged between 12 and 16 - was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Wu, who served in the Chinese parliament from 1998 to 2003, had denied the charges saying he had engaged only in prostitution.

But the court in Nanyang city convicted him and handed down the death sentence for the rapes, which took place between early 2005 and April 2007.

Xinhua news agency reported earlier that the authorities in Henan admitted they faced high pressure in tackling the case because of Wu's political status.

Wu, the boss of a food company in Zhenping, was also fined 500,000 yuan ($69,000; £35,000) by the court.