The death sentence appeal of a Chinese man who kidnapped two girls and caged them in a cellar as sex slaves and raped nine others was rejected in Wuhan in Central China's Hubei province, Wuhan Evening News reported on Tuesday.

Zeng Qiangbao, who is 40 years old, was convicted of illegally captivity, rape, robbery and forcible seizure, according to the report.

Zeng had caged the two girls for 570 days and 317 days respectively from 2008 until they were rescued on May 14, 2010.

He also violently raped nine other women from July 2007 to May 2010.

Zeng appealed to a higher court after being sentenced to death by a court on January 30, 2011, arguing that he suffered from a severe mental disorder that limited his capacity.

The High People's Court of Hubei province rejected his appeal and sustained the original judgment of death penalty.

The final judgment has been reported to the Supreme People's Court for approval.