Public outrage has been sparked by the alleged involvement of the son of a decorated military vocalist in a gang rape, with Web users citing it as an example of the abuses of privileges enjoyed by the second generation of officials and celebrities.

Li Guanfeng, 17, was among four others reportedly detained by police for the rape of a young woman in Beijing last week.

The junior Li is the son of Li Shuangjiang, dean of the music department of the People's Liberation Army Academy of Arts, who built a reputation in past decades for singing popular patriotic songs.

The case triggered over 927,000 posts on Sina Weibo over the past week, seeing many Web users expressing their anger and commenting on Li Guanfeng's past misbehavior.

This is not the first time Li Guanfeng, formerly known as Li Tianyi, has been in trouble with the law.

In September 2011, he and another teenager driving an unlicensed BMW attacked a couple in Beijing after accusing them of blocking his driveway with their car.

The young man was later sent to a government correctional facility for one year and changed his name to Li Guanfeng after his release in September 2012. The public accused Li of changing his name to cover up his checkered past.

Meanwhile, a video clip of a 2011 interview of Li's parents surfaced online, where they explained their son was 12 in 2006, raising doubts as to whether the military singer is trying to falsify his son's age so he will be tried as a juvenile.

"If he is under 18, his sentence might be less than 10 years in prison," Hao Yachao, a Beijing-based lawyer, told the Global Times, adding that according to the Criminal Law, an adult charged with gang rape is eligible for a minimum 10 years or the death penalty.

The Beijing police refused to disclose Li Guanfeng's age as requested by the Global Times on Sunday.

"Distrust between common people and the privileged class is evident here, after several cases of officials using their power to cover up crimes were exposed," said He Bing, a professor with the China University of Political Science and Law.

Li Yali, former deputy chief of the public security bureau of Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, was sacked in January 2013 for attempting to cover up his son's drunk driving and beating of a police officer.

He Bing cautioned that such distrust might turn to hatred if more such cases are exposed. 

Online discussion heated up after Li's mother was reported as saying that she respected any punishment handed to her son by the courts, but hoped for understanding and lenience from the general public and media.

Liu Kaiming, director of the Institute of Contemporary Observation, a Shenzhen-based civil think tank, told the Global Times on Sunday that it's the abuse of power of the privileged class and their children's lack of accountability that provokes such a heated response from the public.

"It's common to see parents spoiling their only child, but one born of a privileged family sometimes grows up thinking that parents can cover up their misbehavior. They gradually begin to neglect the law and commit more serious crimes," said Liu.

Liu noted that another reason for the public interest in Li Guanfeng's case was that his behavior stands in sharp contrast with the honorable image of his father. 

Daily Special: PLA singer's son detained on suspicion of gang rape