China Probes Celebrity Monk for Embezzlement, Sex Misconduct

China has accused the former head monk of its most famous Buddhist temple of embezzling funds and sexual misconduct, beginning a new investigation more than a decade after similar allegations surfaced.

Shi Yongxin, the abbot of the Shaolin Temple until he lost his ordination, is under probe for allegedly misappropriating temple assets, the 1,500-year-old monastery said in a notice on its official WeChat account on Sunday. The institution also accused Yongxin of violating Buddhist precepts by having long-term relationships with several women and fathering illegitimate children.