Police allege Hillsong Church founder concealed child sex abuse

5 August 2021, 14:14

Brian Houston
Australia Hillsong Founder. Picture: PA

Brian Houston’s lawyers have been served with a notice for him to appear in court in October.

The founder of the Sydney-based global Hillsong Church, Brian Houston, has been charged with concealing child sex offences, police said on Thursday.

Detectives served Mr Houston’s lawyers on Thursday with a notice for him to appear in a Sydney court on October 5 for allegedly concealing a serious indictable offence, police said.

“Police will allege in court the man (Houston) knew information relating to the sexual abuse of a young male in the 1970s and failed to bring that information to the attention of police,” police said in a statement.

Mr Houston, 67, suggested the charges related to allegations that his preacher father, Frank Houston, had abused a boy over several years in the 1970s.

“These charges have come as a shock to me given how transparent I’ve always been about this matter,” he said in a statement.

“I vehemently profess my innocence and will defend these charges, and I welcome the opportunity to set the record straight.”

A government inquiry into institutional responses to allegations of child sex abuse found in 2015 that Mr Houston did not tell police that his father was a child sex abuser.

The inquiry found that Mr Houston became aware of allegations against his father in 1999 and allowed him to retire quietly, rather report him to police.

His father confessed to the abuse before he died in 2004 at the age of 82.

There was media speculation that the inquiry’s findings and the ensuing police investigation were reasons why the White House rejected a request by Australia’s Pentecostal prime minister, Scott Morrison, that Mr Houston be invited to a 2019 state dinner hosted by then-president Donald Trump.

Mr Morrison confirmed that he had wanted Mr Houston, whom he had known “for a long time,” included on the invitation list. Mr Morrison said he did not know why Mr Houston was not invited.

Mr Houston has been based in the United States in recent months, preached at a service in Mexico last month and delivered a livestreamed sermon from California on Sunday, Australian Broadcasting Corp reported.

By Press Association

Latest World News

See more Latest World News

Donald Trump with Matt Gaetz

Trump's pick for US attorney-general faced sex-trafficking investigation by department he's now set to lead

TOPSHOT-PALESTINIAN-ISRAEL-CONFLICT-DISPLACED

Ukraine-style visa scheme for Gaza families proposed by Labour MP

President Joe Biden meets with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office

Donald Trump names ‘reckless’ Matt Gaetz attorney general as president-elect holds historic meeting with Joe Biden

President Joe Biden meets with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump and Biden 'both really enjoyed seeing each other', claims President-elect after historic meeting at White House

President Trump Speaks at America First Agenda Summit

Who has Trump picked to be in his cabinet so far and who is in the running?

Two women - who were part of a global monkey torture network - have been jailed

Two women jailed after being part of 'sickening and sadistic' monkey torture network

US President Joe Biden shakes hands with US President-elect Donald Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in

'Welcome back': Donald Trump returns to the White House to meet Joe Biden and begin transfer of power

Chanel Banks has been missing for over two weeks

Gossip Girl star Chanel Maya Banks missing for two weeks as family launch desperate search

Spanish people have been seen bracing for more flooding in drastic ways

Spain takes drastic measures as more flooding looms, as some locals even tie their cars up and wrap them in film

Hvaldimir died earlier this year

Russian 'spy' Beluga whale 'was being trained to guard Kremlin's military base but fled because it was a hooligan'

Donald Trump has appointed Elon Musk to his cabinet when he becomes president

Elon Musk to lead US ‘DOGE’ department to cut bureaucracy which they claim will be ‘Manhattan Project of our time’

Donald Trump has appointed Elon Musk to his cabinet when he becomes president

Donald Trump confirms tech billionaire Elon Musk will join cabinet when he becomes president

Several sandbags to contain the new flood in Aldaia, Valencia

Flood-hit areas of Spain brace for torrential rain forecast as orange alert issued

The husband of Erin Jayne Plummer has reportedly died in a suspected self-harm incident

Husband of Australian TV star dies suddenly two years after her suicide leaving three kids orphaned

Police in Zhuhai after the incident

Dozens of people killed and over 40 injured after car ploughs into crowd outside stadium in China

A damaged tram in Amsterdam as the city continues to face tensions following violence last week

Violence reignites in Amsterdam as tram set on fire days on from 'anti-Semitic attacks'