In Depth: How a Rich Child Rapist Bribed His Way Off Death Row

Zhang Chenggong should have been executed decades ago.

But the child rapist was able to get his sentence commuted, buy off prison officials and continue his business career — until his crimes finally caught up with him last year.

In 1990, Zhang was sentenced to death after being found guilty of raping seven girls, according to a court statement (link in Chinese) issued last December. But the following year, a higher court suspended his death sentence.