Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston has been ruled not guilty of an Australian charge of concealing his father’s child sex crimes.
Hillsong church founder Brian Houston arrives at the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023. Houston was ruled not guilty Thursday of an Australian charge of concealing his fathers child sex crimes. – Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston was ruled not guilty Thursday of an Australian charge of concealing his father’s child sex crimes.
Brett Sengstock testified in the trial that began in December that he never told Houston not to report the abuse. The Associated Press does not usually identify victims or alleged victims of sexual abuse, but Sengstock has chosen to identify himself in the media. “Victims of sexual abuse ought to feel safe to confide in others without being concerned they are exposing those others to a criminal offense,” Christofi said.“I want to express my sadness to Brett Sengstock, genuine sadness about what my father did to him and all his victims. He was obviously a serial pedophile. We probably will never know the extent of his pedophilia,” Houston told reporters.
Houston became aware in 1999 of his father’s abuse of the then-7-year-old Sengstock. His father confessed and was defrocked as an Assemblies of God pastor. Frank Houston died in 2004 at age 82 without being charged.Prosecutor Dareth Harrison said Houston had found a convenient excuse to avoid reporting the allegation to authorities to protect both the church and his father.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston found not guilty of concealing his father's child sex crimesHillsong Church founder Brian Houston has been ruled not guilty of an Australian charge of concealing his father’s child sex crimes.
Read more »
Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston found not guilty of concealing his father's child sex crimesHillsong Church founder Brian Houston has been ruled not guilty of an Australian charge of concealing his father’s child sex crimes.
Read more »
Houston’s 5 Best Weekend Food Bets: Barbie Brunch Returns and Houston Restaurant Weeks ContinuesHere's a look at this weekend's tasty food and drink happenings: Houston Restaurant Weeks All month long Houston Restaurant Weeks has made its triumphant return, running all August long and hrough Monday, September 4. The highly anticipated foodie fundraiser celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, raising a whopping 18.8 million...
Read more »
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp rebukes Trump, says 2020 election was ‘not stolen’Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday upbraided former President Donald Trump for claiming he has a trove of information about fraud in the state’s 2020 presidential contest.
Read more »
Brad Pitt celebrates Brian Tyree Henry for EW's 2022 Entertainers of the YearIn 2022, Brian Tyree Henry starred in 'Bullet Train,' 'Causeway,' and the final season of 'Atlanta.' For EW's Entertainers of the Year, Brad Pitt honors his 'funny as f---' costar.
Read more »
Top 10 holdings of the Mormon Church's $49 billion stock portfolioThese are the top 10 holdings of the Mormon Church's $49 billion stock portfolio
Read more »