Mainland Tycoon Arrested Over Child Abuse Case

Prosecutors in Shanghai have formally arrested two people over child molestation allegations, with state media identifying one as a prominent real estate developer.

The case has received prominent coverage in state media, including on national broadcaster CCTV on Thursday, in an apparent attempt to draw attention to what is believed to be a widespread but under-reported crime affecting millions of children on the mainland.

A brief notice on the Shanghai prosecutor's office's microblog said the Putuo district branch had ordered the formal arrest on Wednesday of two people, identified only by their surnames, Wang and Zhou.

The Communist Party funded newspaper, Global Times, identified Wang as Wang Zhenhua, former chairman of Seazen, one of China's largest developers.

The company announced Wang had been replaced by his son on July 3.

Hong Kong-listed shares in a pair of companies linked to Wang – Future Land Holdings and Xinchengyue – have since plunged around 30 percent.

Reports have said that a woman surnamed Zhou delivered a nine-year-old girl to Wang after bringing her from another province for a trip to Shanghai Disneyland.

The girl later reported to her mother that she had been molested, leading to the arrest of Wang and Zhou, according to the reports. (AP, AFP)