A Chinese man was sentenced to a 13-year imprisonment on Wednesday for raping his underage stepdaughter, Legal Daily reported. He will also be deprived of political rights for two years.

His stepdaughter, nicknamed Xiaoxin, committed a charcoal-burning suicide on May 24, 2015. She was then 22 years old. In a suicide note to her birthfather, she said that she was raped by her stepfather for the first time at the age of 12, and was constantly assaulted ever since.

In addition, her stepfather, surnamed Zhang, took photos of her when she was bathing and changing clothes.

She also wrote in the letter that after the divorce of her parents, her new family life turned out to be a nightmare. The girl described how she woke up every night at the slightest of sounds out of fear.

The case sparked fury among the public.

According to the charges, Zhang molested and sexually harassed Xiaoxin many times since 2002. It is alleged that his sexual relationship with Xiaoxin began in 2003, when she was just 10 years old.

Zhang first denied the charges, but finally confessed during trial. However, he insisted that there is no direct link between the rape and Xiaoxin's suicide.

His attorney also held that Xiaoxin's note isn’t sufficient proof that the rape was the direct cause of Xiaoxin's suicide, saying that she committed suicide because of pressure in work and life.

The court in Wujiang district of Suzhou，Jiangsu province believed that Zhang's confession was correspondent with the victim's note, which constitutes the crime of rape.

Though it may not be the only reason for Xiaoxin's suicide, her stepfather’s crime had a great impact on her mental and physical health, the court explained.

No appeal was made by Zhang after the first trial. Now the verdict has come into effect.