BEIJING -- Two Chinese men have been held in police custody for five days for posting explicit photographs of Hong Kong celebrities on the Internet, state media said Saturday.

The two men from central Hunan province were detained for circulating the photographs of actor and singer-actor Edison Chen apparently having sex with a number of Hong Kong starlets, Xinhua news agency said.

The arrests are the latest in a case that has caused a sensation in Hong Kong, where the pictures were downloaded and distributed after Chen's laptop was taken to a computer shop for repairs, earlier reports have said.

Xinhua said the two men were arrested after police found more than 10 graphic images in an online post which attracted more than 100,000 hits.

The pair had 400 of the explicit images, out of a reported total of more than 1,300, and had invited friends to their home to see them, it said.

Previously, 11 people had been detained by police in relation to the photos, the report said, adding that producing, copying or circulating pornographic products, even without a profit motive, is illegal in China.

The photos of Chen and at least seven women -- including Cantopop singer Gillian Chung, actress Cecilia Cheung and former actress Bobo Chan -- began appearing in January.

Last month, Chen publicly admitted he had taken the pictures, apologized and announced his retirement from the local entertainment scene.

Police in both Hong Kong and Taiwan have also detained people on suspicion of possessing and distributing the photographs.