Four members of a male prostitution ring were sentenced between 18 months and five and a half years in prison for organizing sex and spreading venereal disease in Zhejiang Province, the Legal Daily reported yesterday.

Wuxing District People's Court in Huzhou City announced the sentences on Tuesday.

The key to the case was whether prostitution could include male sex acts, the report said.

The court ruled that Chinese law specifies that sex acts sold for money or goods come under the definition of prostitution, regardless if it occurs between a man and a woman or two men.

Zheng Shuyi, 35, started a male prostitution website on August 10, 2007. He recruited more than 20 male prostitutes, including Xu and Xie, to serve customers in Huzhou.

On March 7, Zheng sold the website to Wu Hongchun, a former client, and Wu continued to run the business.

The court said Zheng and Wu were guilty of organizing prostitution while Xu assisted both men. Xie was convicted of spreading venereal disease, according to the report.

(Shanghai Daily October 23, 2008)