“Hillsong Founder Acquitted in Sydney Court Over Concealing Abuse Case”

“Founder of Hillsong Megachurch Acquitted in Sydney Court Over Concealing Abuse”Brian Houston, the founder of the global megachurch Hillsong, has been acquitted by a Sydney court in Australia regarding allegations of hiding sexual abuse committed by his father, former pastor Frank Houston, during the 1970s.

The Downing Centre Local and District Court ruled on Thursday that Houston, 69, had respected the wishes of the victim, Brett Sengstock, by not reporting the crimes to the police. The court cleared Houston of concealing an indictable offence.

Speaking to reporters outside the court, Houston expressed his sorrow for those who had been deeply affected and stated, “But I am not my father. I did not commit this offence.”

Magistrate Gareth Christofi noted that there was “little doubt” that Houston was aware of Sengstock’s reluctance to report the abuse. Christofi emphasized that Houston had a valid reason for not involving the police.

Throughout the proceedings, Sengstock, the victim who waived his anonymity, was present in the courtroom. He revealed that he had been subjected to repeated abuse by Frank Houston, Brian’s father and a pastor, from the age of seven. Following the verdict, Sengstock commented, “Frank Houston was no pioneer for Christianity. His legacy remains a faded memory of a paedophile. Regardless of today’s outcome, I have received a life sentence.”

Brian Houston learned about the abuse many years later and informed Church leaders, though he did not report it to the police. Frank Houston admitted his guilt but was never formally charged. He was defrocked by the church and passed away in 2004.

In 1999, Frank Houston confessed his crimes to his son. Brian’s stance in court was that he refrained from reporting his father’s actions because at the time of his discovery, Sengstock was an adult who did not wish to involve law enforcement.

In 2022, while facing accusations of concealing the crimes, Brian Houston commented in Sydney’s Downing Centre local, “I have no doubt now my father was a serial paedophile, and we’ll probably never know the extent of it.” Frank Houston had admitted to sexually abusing children to other officials within Australia’s Pentecostal church network.