Jaycee Chan charged: China makes an example of Jackie Chan's son
| Beijing
Chinese prosecutors on Monday indicted the son of Hong Kong action film star Jackie聽Chan聽on the charge of "sheltering others to use drugs," more than four months after he was detained.
If convicted, singer-actor Jaycee聽Chan聽could be jailed for up to three years.
Chan, 32, was among a string of celebrities detained over the summer for vices such as drug use and hiring prostitutes, as Beijing vowed to clean up social morals.
The detention of Jaycee聽Chan聽has been particularly embarrassing for his father, who was named by Beijing as an anti-drug ambassador in 2009.
Beijing police detained the younger聽Chan聽at his Beijing apartment in August along with Taiwanese movie star Ko Kai. Police said聽Chan聽and Ko both tested positive for marijuana and admitted using the drug, and that 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of it were taken from聽Chan's聽home.
Ko, whose real name is Ko Chen-tung, was released after a 14-day administrative detention for the drug use, but Chan聽鈥� who has remained in detention since August 鈥� is faced with the more serious criminal charge.
State broadcaster CCTV in August aired video of the police raid on聽Chan's聽apartment, in which聽Chan聽was shown identifying marijuana. Ko testified on camera that he had used drugs at聽Chan's聽home.
Chan聽has never publicly contested the charge, and his father has openly apologized over his detention. In August, Chan wrote:
"For my son, Fang Zuming (Jaycee), to get into such trouble, I'm very angry and astonished,鈥� Mr. Chan wrote In a microblog posting Wednesday. 鈥淎s a public figure, I'm ashamed, as a father, I'm heartbroken, I can't begin to describe his mother's pain. I hope young people will take a lesson from Zuming (Jaycee) and stay away from drugs,鈥� according to聽.
Chan added, 鈥淚 failed to be a good father and I deserve the blame. I will take the responsibility and apologize to public on behalf of Jaycee!"
Prosecutors from Beijing's Dongcheng District announced the indictment in a one-line statement that did not mention when a trial would be held.
In June, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared that illegal drugs should be wiped out and that offenders should be severely punished. The crackdown snared more than 7,800 people in Beijing alone, according to police, and celebrities were targeted because of their influence over the public.
Jaycee聽Chan聽has appeared in several films and has released three albums.
