Abbot accused of sexual harassment

China's top religious affairs regulator said on Thursday that Master Xuecheng, abbot of the Beijing-based Longquan Temple and head of the Buddhist Association of China, is under investigation after being accused in a 95-page report of various violations, including sexual harassment of several nuns.

"We've paid attention to the whistle-blowing report online, and received related materials," the State Administration for Religious Affairs said in statement. "We have begun to investigate to verify the accusations."

On Wednesday, the report spread across Chinese social media. It includes allegations by Shi Xianjia of the Longquan Temple and Shi Xianqi, a former monk there, that Master Xuecheng sexually harassed several female monks by sending them obscene messages and forcing them to have sexual relations with him.