TAIWAN’S High Court yesterday sentenced socialite Justin Lee, heir to one of the island’s richest men, to 79 years and seven months in prison for raping and illegally making sex tapes of 20 women.

    The court meted out the harshest punishment for such crimes in recent years based on the number of counts of sexual assault and filming without consent.

    Lee, the son of former Yuanta Financial Holding board member Lee Yue-chang, was also ordered to compensate NT$27.75 million (US$928,800) to the victims.

    The ruling came as a shock to Lee’s family as it dwarfed the Taipei District Court’s decision last September to hand him an 18-year and six-month term.

    According to the High Court verdict, Lee, 29, brought home 14 women, either drunk or unconscious, from nightclubs and other places. Then he sexually assaulted them, taping the acts without their consent.

    He also took home another six women and secretly filmed them having sex with him. Police found the explicit video files on his computer and cellphone, and placed him on the wanted list when he refused to cooperate with the investigation.

    Lee surrendered to police in August 2012 after 23 days on the run.

    Lee was initially accused of date-raping 34 women, some of whom were models and starlets, from 2009. All 34 claimed they were victims of Lee, but the High Court said there was not enough evidence in the 14 other cases, the court said.

    Lee’s lawyer said the socialite’s parents found the ruling unacceptable and would file an appeal before the island’s top court.

    The lawyer said Lee had lost at least 10 kg while in detention. (SD-Agencies)