Saudi Arabia has executed a man convicted of raping several girls, the first beheading under the newly enthroned King Salman.

The official Saudi Press Agency says Moussa al-Zahrani was publicly beheaded on Monday in the coastal Saudi city of Jiddah.

SPA cited Interior Ministry as saying the man was executed for luring underage girls, intoxicating hem and then sexually assaulting them.

The case has stirred much attention on social media — which is unusual in Saudi Arabia for cases of violent crimes — largely because al-Zahrani claimed his innocence until the end and blamed police for corruption during the investigation.

His brother, Hassan al-Zahrani described Moussa as an innocent father of six children. Other relatives appeared on Saudi talk shows saying the case was riddled with inconsistencies.