Detained Chinese internet celebrity ‘suspected of abducting minors and forcing them into prostitution’
- Gao Fei, 28, who has more than 4 million followers on video-sharing websites, had been wanted by police since March
- He has been held in custody for a week while the investigation continues
An internet celebrity has been detained by police in eastern China after months on the run, accused of abducting young girls and forcing them into prostitution.
Gao Fei, 28, has been in police custody for a week in Zhuji, Zhejiang province while the investigation continues, Qianjiang Evening News reported on Monday.
Zhuji police said Gao was “suspected of being involved in numerous cases of abducting minors and forcing them into prostitution”, but did not say how long he would be detained for, or whether he had been formally arrested or charged, according to the report.
Gao has more than 4 million followers on video-sharing websites and continued to live-stream while he was wanted by police. Officers had been searching for him since March.
The investigation began in June last year, after a suspect in an assault case in Zhuji told police he had become involved in abducting girls for prostitution through Gao, the report said.
Gao, who is from Rongjiang county in Guizhou province, denied the allegations in an earlier interview with Zhuji Daily, saying he had not “broken any law” and that his videos always promoted “positive energy”.
