"Because the offense was proven, there was no invasion of privacy," Gu said.

But another lawyer, Zhang Wanying, believed the move was inappropriate.

"Even criminals have the right to privacy," Zhang said.

Henan Provincial Party School professor Zhang Tingyin told China Daily the issue should be viewed from two perspectives - that of the individual and that of society.

"On the level of the individual, the offenders' privacy has been violated and it may have negative impacts on their future lives," he explained.

"On the level of society, labeling them as criminals involved in prostitution subjects them to social discrimination."

In a similar case, the publication of two sex workers' and two patrons' photographs by media in Dongguan, Guangdong province, aroused online controversy over the weekend.

A radio and television station in Dongguan's Qingxi township included three photographs of offenders in a report on a July 5 raid. When the photographs were posted online, a thread at Mop.com questioning their release sparked heated controversy, with most Web users opposed to publicizing the photos.