SINGAPORE - A kompang drum instructor sexually preyed on three boys in his group, aged nine to 13, by sharing stories of his own sexual abuse to gain sympathy, the High Court heard on Friday (June 12).

After gaining their confidence, Mohamad Shahril Abdul Rashid asked the boys if they would like to see a demonstration of what his sepak takraw coach or his god-brother had done to him when he was 12 years old.

Shahril claimed that he did this to protect the victims from such harmful behaviour in the future.

Even if the victims rejected his offer, he still went ahead to demonstrate the indecent acts on them.

The 31-year-old was sentenced to 22 years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated sexual assault by penetration.

Eight other charges, for various sexual offences, were taken into consideration.

Shahril was a security officer and deliveryman who founded a kompang group in 2005.

The group, which comprised members from nine to 15 years old, held practice sessions at a community club and performed at weddings.

All the members addressed him as "ayah", or father in Malay.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Chee Ee Ling said Shahril would ensure each victim was alone with him before sharing his childhood experience of sexual abuse with them and then molesting them or forcing them to perform oral sex on him.

The incidents usually took place at his flat, where the members stayed when they have a performance the next day, or in a storeroom at the community club.

After abusing them, he would tell his victims not to tell anyone what he did.

One victim, who was first molested in 2016 when he was nine, told Shahril that he did not like what the man did and told him to stop.

But the instructor continued to touch him inappropriately.

Sometime in 2017, Shahril spoke to the parents of this victim and asked that they let the boy live with him.

The parents agreed as they lived in a one-room rental flat and had seven other children.

As a result, the boy lived with Shahril for most of that year and suffered repeated sexual abuse.

The boy did not know the acts were wrong and obeyed Shahril's instructions to keep them a secret.

The offences eventually came to light on Oct 20, 2017, when another victim confided in his god-brother, who lodged a police report.

The DPP told the court that the victim who lived with Shahril is still seeing a counsellor, three years after the abuse, to get over his trauma.

Shahril's assigned lawyer, Mr Pramnath Vijayakumar, said his client had really been subject to sexual abuse - not to justify what he did, but to paint the context.

He said Shahril admitted to the offences from the outset and assumed full responsibility for what he had done.