‘Unclean’: US$440,000 sex and extortion scandal engulfs China abbot at famous Buddhist temple, sparks public anger over religious ethics
- Holy man had sex in hotel with married live-stream anchor
- Husband films ‘secret’ video of sex, extorts millions from monk
A US$440,000 sex and extortion scandal involving an abbot and a married online live-streaming anchor has sparked public uproar over financial and moral integrity.
The abbot, surnamed Zhang, at a prestigious Buddhist temple in Pujiang county, Chengdu, Sichuan province in southwestern China met a woman, surnamed Cai, during a furniture sales live-streaming event in late 2020.
The encounter led to a “secret affair” during which Cai travelled to Chengdu for sex in a hotel with Zhang.
However, their relationship was uncovered by Cai’s husband, surnamed Qian.
Learning of Zhang’s position as a monk and abbot at a prominent temple, Qian persuaded his wife to set a trap for the holy man by inviting him to travel to Fujian province in the southeast of the country.