Hillsong Church Founder Acquitted of Covering Up Father’s Child Abuse, Cites ‘Reasonable Excuse’

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Sydney Pastor Brian Houston Acquitted of Covering Up Father’s Sexual Abuse

Sydney, Australia – Brian Houston, the founder of Hillsong Christian church, has been found not guilty of charges that he covered up his father’s sexual abuse of a child, according to state television ABC. The Sydney court acquitted Houston on Thursday after determining that he had a reasonable excuse for not reporting his father’s abuse when he first learned of it in 1999.

Houston, who stepped down as senior pastor last year amid allegations of inappropriate conduct with women, faced three separate accusations. However, the court’s decision only pertained to the charge of covering up his father’s abuse. The 69-year-old religious leader claimed that the victim, Brett Sengstock, had requested him not to inform the police when he disclosed the abuse, which had occurred almost three decades earlier when Sengstock was only seven years old.

Judge Gather Christophi also highlighted Houston’s openness in court and with the media, where he referred to his father as a “serial pedophile.” This apparent contradiction further weakened the prosecution’s argument of a cover-up.

Frank Houston, the alleged perpetrator and former leader of the Assemblies of God in Australia and New Zealand, was not formally charged for the crimes before his death in 2004. However, victims and legal organizations had accused him of sexually abusing a total of nine minors. Frank Houston’s case was one of several included in the 2015 Australian Government Commission report that exposed the inadequate response of the country’s institutions to cases of juvenile sexual abuse.

Hillsong Church, established in 1983 and boasting an international presence with offices in nearly thirty countries, counts notable celebrities such as Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez among its members. While Brian Houston’s acquittal lifts the cloud of the cover-up allegation, the church continues to face scrutiny and challenges in its handling of sexual abuse cases within its ranks.