By James Pomfret

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong singer and actor Edison Chen said on Thursday he would step away from the Hong Kong entertainment industry to "heal himself," in his first public appearance since a sex scandal broke.

Hong Kong police said some 1,300 private shots of Chen in bed with at least half a dozen female celebrities had been copied by the staff of a computer repair shop from a faulty laptop believed to belong to Chen, sparking off a media frenzy.

The Canadian-born Chen, a hip hop artist and Asian film star who has appeared in films such as Infernal Affairs, the Hong Kong triad film which inspired Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning film "The Departed," admitted for the first time that most of the pictures circulating on the Internet had been taken by him.

"These photos were very private and have not been shown to people and were never intended to be shown to anyone," the 27-year-old said in a calm voice amid a flood of camera flashes from the hundreds of reporters gathered.

"I have failed as a role model. However I wish that this matter will teach everyone a lesson."

He said in a brief statement he would fulfill existing commitments before stepping down "indefinitely." He added that he would dedicate himself to charity and community work.

"I've decided to do this to give myself an opportunity to heal myself and to search my soul."

Hong Kong police have so far made 10 arrests in connection with the scandal.

(Editing by Jeremy Laurence)