BEIJING — Four senior executives of Chinese streaming media service QVOD Technology Co. were sentenced today to more than three years in prison for hosting, streaming and profiting from pornography, according to the Shanghai Daily.
Wang Xin, CEO of Shenzhen-based QVOD Technology, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison and fined 1 million yuan, or $150,000 (U.S.), by the Haidian District People's Court.
The other three executives were sentenced up to three years and three months and were fined of up to 500,000 yuan, or $75,000 (U.S.).
Originally the four execs pleaded not guilty, but on Friday they changed their pleas.
QVOD Technology is a developer and provider of stream media application and entertainment software. The company was found to have hosted and streamed a large amount of porn and pirated content and profited by charging users and advertisers, according to the court.
The company, which had been punished twice in recent years on the same charges, also was fined this time around. It was ordered to pay 10 million yuan, or $1.5 million (U.S.).
The Shanghai Daily said that the judge handling the case noted that QVOD Technology turned a blind eye to distributing porn online for profit.
"QVOD is duty bound to ensure internet security," the judge said. "It should have the ability to do so, and pay for necessary cost."
The People's Republic of China has banned porn since its establishment in 1949.
Anyone who produces, distributes or purchases sexually explicit content for profit through any medium can be penalized. Usually the punishment is just a fine and a warning, but in 2005 the creator of China's biggest porn site, Chen Hui, was sentenced to life in prison.