China sentences Chinese-Canadian star Chris Wu to 13 years WGN Radio 720

BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese court on Friday sentenced Chinese-Canadian pop star Chris Wu to 13 years in prison for charges including rape.

Beijing’s Chaoyang District Court sentenced him to 11 years and 6 months for rape in 2020 and 1 year and 10 months for “gathering a crowd to engage in a sexual orgy” in a 2018 case. . drunk women.

The court said the three rape victims were also drunk and could not resist.

A total of 13 years in prison was agreed, and Wu said he would be deported soon after serving his sentence.

“Based on the facts … the nature of the offense, the circumstances and the detrimental consequences, the court rendered the above judgment,” the court said in an online statement.

Canadian diplomats were in court to hear the verdict, it said.

The June trial of the 32-year-old former member of the South Korean group EXO was closed to the public to protect the privacy of the victims.

A police statement at the time said Mr Wu had been in custody since August last year, with police investigating him in response to comments he made online that he “repeatedly seduced young women into having sex”.

That year, the teenager accused him of having sex with her while she was drunk.

The teen said seven other women had since contacted her and that Wu had seduced them with promises of jobs and other opportunities. .

Rape is punishable by three to 10 years’ imprisonment, although in exceptional cases harsher sentences, up to the death penalty, may be issued. Her second charge facing Wu carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Wu grew up in Guangzhou, China and Vancouver, British Columbia.