A self proclaimed "Buddhist master" deluded four women into sleeping with him, and defrauded over 100 others out of 2 million yuan ($300,000), according to Dongcheng District Public Security Bureau in Beijing Thursday.

Zu Fuyou, the 46-year-old who claimed to be the "Jiuhua Mountain Buddha," is facing charges of rape and fraud committed over seven years in 10 different provinces. He was arrested in Guangqumen, Dongcheng district in November last year.

On the night of November 13, Dongcheng police questioned a migrant worker in her 20s, surnamed Guo, who was acting "suspiciously."

Police uncovered that Guo had met an unnamed middle-aged woman last year. The woman told her she would suffer bad luck soon, and only the Jiuhua Mountain Buddha could help. Guo gave the woman her mobile phone number.

Sometime later the Buddhist master called Guo and asked her to wire him 2,000 yuan for a Buddhist ceremony to help eliminate her bad luck. Guo complied with the man's request.

In November, the master called her again, and recommended that she take part in a Buddhist practice with his virgin follower in a hotel. Zu, as well as playing the role of master, also played the part of the so-called virgin follower.

The 46-year-old convinced Guo that he was her husband from a previous life, and that having sex with him was a Buddhist practice that could bring her good luck. He then allegedly took ad-vantage of the woman in a hotel room.

Zhou Xiaozheng, director of the Law and Sociology Research Center at Renmin University of China, told the Global Times that the case illuminated the fact that Chinese society is lacking knowledge of faith and religion.

Zhou said he thought Chinese people do not believe in the authorities. "But they still need to believe in something, which opens weak points for some evil people to exploit," He added.

Hu Jianqiang, the Bureau's spokesman told the Global Times, "We've gathered all the evidence and the prosecution will start within one month." Police have found seven victims so far, and are now working on catching Zu's middle-aged helper.

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