Hillsong Pastor Found Not Guilty of Covering Up Child Sex Abuse
Brian Houston acquitted
Brian Houston, the founder of the Australian megachurch Hillsong, is today a free man after he was acquitted of the crime of covering up child sexual abuse.
Houston recently stood trial in a Sydney court on charges stemming from his decision not to report his father’s child sex abuse to the police. His father, Frank Houston, confessed to repeatedly sexually assaulting a young boy who was part of the church community where he preached. The trial revolved around whether Brian should have reported this confession to the authorities.
Frank Houston’s appalling actions came to light when he confessed to his son back in 1999. Brian, in turn, reported the confession to senior church members but opted not to involve the police. Frank Houston passed away in 2004 without facing any charges. During the trial, Brian Houston acknowledged that he had since learned of his father’s serial pedophilia, stating, “I have no doubt now my father was a serial pedophile, and we’ll probably never know the extent of it.”
The heart of the trial hinged on Brian’s assertion that he had a “reasonable excuse” for not reporting his father’s crimes to the police. According to Houston, this was in line with the victim’s wishes, as the victim explicitly…
