ZHENGZHOU - An official in Central China's Henan province was executed on Tuesday for raping 11 underage girls, sources with the Henan Provincial Higher People's Court confirmed Wednesday.

Li Xingong, former deputy secretary general of the Yongcheng city committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), was arrested in May 2012 on charges of raping several adolescent girls starting from the second half of 2011.

The Shangqiu City Intermediate People's Court later sentenced Li to death for raping the adolescents and deprived him of his political rights for life.

Li appealed but was denied by the Henan Provincial Higher People's Court. The execution was approved by the Supreme People's Court.

The case triggered widespread public outrage on the Internet after its exposure.

The execution was carried out at a time when China has vowed to beef up protection for juveniles following a series of sexual abuse cases involving children.

The Supreme People's Court announced last month that courts across the country will come down harder on crimes committed against juveniles, show minimal tolerance toward such offenders and offer the greatest level of protection possible for children.