Cape Town - Police have arrested a 33-year-old man for drugging, raping and burning six boys in Langa, Cape Town.
The suspect, who lives in the same street as the victims, allegedly burned them with a hot iron and battery fluid last Friday. He was arrested two days after the attack.
One of the boys’ thighs and back has visible triangular iron burn marks.
The man has been charged with rape and sexual assault.
Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk said the accused appeared in Bishop Lavis Magistrate's Court on Tuesday and the case was postponed for seven days for further investigation.
He remains in custody.
The man had allegedly been giving the boys drugs and showing them gay porn for eight months before sexually assaulting them.
According to one of the victims, who spoke to the Daily Voice in the presence of his grandmother in their Langa home on Wednesday, the man threatened to expose him on social media if he refused to have sex with him.
The 16-year-old said that on Friday, when he refused, the suspect burned him with a hot iron and beat him up with a broomstick.
The victim alleges there are five more boys who were also sexually groomed and raped.
“This has been happening since June, when I was 15,” he said.
“We were having a chill session and he gave my friends and me tik and dagga to smoke and alcohol.
“When I asked my friend why he was visiting the suspect, he said he had some business to attend to.
“(The accused) introduced himself to me and after a while he gave us drugs. I had never tried tik before I met him and when I tried it, he said he would tell my grandmother that I smoke.
“Then he forced me to watch porn with men and then he raped me and then he said we were in a relationship.”
The teenager says when he told the man he didn’t want a relationship, he threatened to expose him on Facebook.
“He said he would tell people I smoke drugs and also that I am sleeping with him.”
The Grade 10 pupil says last week when he arrived at the suspect’s home with his friends, the accused tried to rape him again.
“He gave me the drugs and then I refused sex, and that is when he beat me with a broomstick, took a hot iron and placed it on my thighs, chest and back.
“My grandma was shocked when I finally told her the truth because he told her he was our mentor and helped us to stay away from drugs.
“After we had a family meeting, we went to the police to lay a charge against him.”