Porn Web site operators stood on trial in four district courts in Guangzhou on Monday on charges of spreading pornographic material on the Internet.

Guo Zande, a native of Yuexiu District, was sentenced to three years and six months and fined 5,000 yuan (US$604) for spreading pornographic material and blackmail.

Pan Lijin, Guo's wife, was sentenced to one year and six months and fined 2,000 yuan.

A verdict by the Yuexiu District People's Court said Guo and Pan established a Web site in June this year and provided pornographic video downloads, charging members a 30-yuan monthly subscription fee. The couple earned 3,427 yuan from the service.

The Liwan District Court ruled Tang Hongping, a Hubei native, provided online pornographic photos and novels when he worked as a Web site administrator in Guangzhou. Tang was sentenced to one year in prison.

He Shitong received a two-year sentence and was fined 5,000 yuan in a verdict handed down by the Tianhe District People's Court. The verdict said He earned commissions for running an online escort service between January and August this year.

They were the city's largest joint sentences simultaneously awarded by district-level people's courts and reflected the government's determination to fight Internet pornography.

(Shenzhen Daily December 14, 2004)