A former legislator of Nanchong City in southwestern China's Sichuan Province has been sentenced to 20 years jail for organizing five "erotic robberies."

The People's Court of Chenghua District in Sichuan's Chengdu City upheld the term for Zhou Xiuzhen yesterday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Zhou, who was once famous for establishing a school for needy and abandoned children in Nanchong's rural areas, was found to have plotted to rob several netizens between December 2006 and last January.

Zhou advertised girls on the Internet and tricked men into thinking they were meeting women for one-night stands.

As soon as victims entered hotel rooms Zhou had reserved, she would raid the room with three thugs, and threaten, rob and beat the men.

Zhou told the court she needed the money to offset her school's one-million-yuan (US$142,582) debt.

She spent more than 400,000 yuan to build the school in 2002, but it soon plunged into financial crisis as few local families could afford tuitions.

The crisis became more serious after nearby local public schools slashed tuitions for every student to only 10 yuan each semester. Zhou's school required up to 200 yuan.

The Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Nanchong City has canceled Zhou's membership.

(Shanghai Daily April 2, 2008)