The high-profile head of one of China's biggest private language training companies has been accused of raping an intern in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, the Guangzhou Daily said Thursday.

The company's legal counselor, Yang Lin, said Song Shanmu had been on business in Beijing but had already returned to Shenzhen on Wednesday, after the police summoned him.

But the police denied this was the case, and confirmed that they have issued an arrest warrant.

Song, 46, founder and President of China's Sunmoon Lifelong Education Group, is a well-known entrepreneur who often appears on TV.

The alleged victim, surnamed Luo, told local police that Song had forced her to have sex with him at his apartment in Luohu district, Shenzhen, on May 3. 

She also alleges that he took photos of her in the nude.

Luo, 22, is an English major at a vocational and technical school in Anhui Province. She began her internship at Sunmoon last December, but decided to leave the company last month. However, Song refused her resignation and persuaded her to stay another week until the company found a replacement for her.

Founded in Shenzhen in 1991, Sunmoon is known for its strict code of conduct, and has over 200 branches over China and  branches in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.

The police are continuing their investigation.