Former official investigated for rape of underage girls

A former county official in central China has been put under investigation for allegedly raping underage girls, authorities said Thursday.

Tang, who previously served as deputy head of the publicity department of Huitong County, Hunan Province, has been detained and sacked from his post.

According to the county government, the local public security bureau received a report in November about people forcing underage girls into prostitution.

Initial investigations showed that five suspects, all unemployed, had profited from forcing five teenage girls into prostitution starting in October. Tang and others paid several times for sex with the girls, three of whom had dropped out of school, police said. Endi