Hillsong Church Founder Charged With Covering Up Pastor Dad’s Sex Crimes

By Janezdrilc - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16495566

Hillsong Church founder pastor Brian Houston has been charged with concealing the child sex abuse crimes his father Frank Houston committed prior to his death. 

Over the past Christmas season, Houston sent out a church-wide newsletter admitting that Frank, also a former pastor at Hillsong, had disclosed the nature of his crimes to him in 1999.

The newsletter claimed that Brian wanted to provide “some clarity” about his father’s abuse of up to eight children. “From the moment Pastor Brian this shocking news, around 20 years ago, he has always been very open and clear about the circumstances around this,” the Hillsong board wrote in the newsletter. 

Australian authorities didn’t think he was transparent enough and charged him with concealing his pastor father’s repeated assault of a 7-year-old boy from 1969 to 1970, who admitted to having a “continuing problem” with his sexual attraction to young boys.  

Not only did Brian and the church withhold information about the crimes from authorities, he is accused of paying off the victim himself. The alleged victim, Brett Sengstock, said he was “raped, choked, and brutalized” by Frank, who allegedly tried to bribe him with hush money prior to his 2004 death at 82. 

In 2014, Australia’s royal commission learned that Frank offered to pay Sengstock $10,000 AUD so his soul would be unburdened when he “stood before God.” Brian ended up sending the check himself, reportedly telling Sengstock, “You know it’s your fault all of this happened – you tempted my father.”

“These charges have come as a shock to me given how transparent I’ve always been about this matter,” Brian commented. “I vehemently profess my innocence and will defend these charges, and I welcome the opportunity to set the record straight.”

Brian Houston was subpoenaed in New South Wales, Australia on Thursday and will appear in court on Oct. 5. The charges carry a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison.  


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mike
mike
2 years ago

Shame on him for withholding this sick sick information. I hope he gets the maximum sentence. He deserves it period…..

Maggie
Maggie
2 years ago
Reply to  mike

True! Why did he NOT disclose it WHEN he became aware of it, rather than to cover it up? It is because of such as this example that give Christianity a bad name……

Jim Anchor
Jim Anchor
2 years ago

So not only a pedeophile, he was a Homosexual to boot. Bloody well a nasty creature

Jim Anchor
Jim Anchor
2 years ago

Buck Fiden new Hunter was abusing the niece and did not report him. Now lets see if any justice is done. Nope, just a Demonrat scum skating like Hitlaery on 30,000 Feloniesj

Original Anna
Original Anna
2 years ago

Not defending the pastor, but the eight abused kids should have told their parents themselves and as adults, the police. As for the Father he needed to be in jail since he did the crimes. As for the pastor or son of the pastor, he could have been afraid of his father since his father was apparently violent towards at least one kid according to one victim, maybe he was terrified of admitting to the world and himself just what he had as a father. Gees. Exposing these various aspects and relationships between the father and his son and the kids the father abused does not come easy and is not that easily explained while you are going through it. It usually takes years to figure out what was really involved, the deepness of the crime as adults know it and finally say something about it. But I would like to know why the silence of the victims and their families. Parents are supposed to protect their kids. Victims and both the pastor and the kids were victims of the father. Family is always a tangled relationship. It’s now up to the law to investigate all of this and decide what the outcome should be.

Cliff Goins
Cliff Goins
2 years ago
Reply to  Original Anna

Shame on you blaming 7 year olds that were manipulated, beaten , choked and raped. You are defending
the pastor and blaming children.
Parents can’t be everywhere at one time . The parents obviously trusted
the Pastors and why wouldn’t they.
It’s easy from you to point your accusing finger at those that are others because it’s never to your knowledge happened to your love ones. Pedofiles isolate and threaten their victims in many cases
with doing harm to their family if they tell on them also even when a child is physically or emotionally bullied at school they are ashamed and keep it to themselves.
Pray for the victims and their families that God will heal them.
I pray that God will deliver you from walking in the flesh and help you to walk in the Spirit manifesting the fruit of the Spirit which is Love, Compassion, Goodness, Kindness, Peace,Longsuffering, Gentleness, Humility, Self Control

T D Harrell
T D Harrell
2 years ago
Reply to  Original Anna

Children are often threatened by the abuser or they believe their parents will not believe them for one reason or another. It really not uncommon at all for a child to go through this type of stuff alone believing they will be blamed for the actions of the abuser. Happens this way all over the world. Pediphiles often groom their victims which for many is part of the fun. Relationship starts friendly ancestries then small things start happening. The abuser tells the victim they are beautiful, and that they want to touch them in someway cause they are just so beautiful. There are many interviews with Pedo’s where they explain all of this. The son blaming one of the fathers victims may be a tell tell sign there is more that has not been told. Sounds a bit like jealousy or something his father told him to ease something else. Just saying this is a possibility.

Mutzika
Mutzika
2 years ago

That is why the Bible speaks of…
”Lord, Lord, did we not do all these things in Your Name?…..”
—“Go away I know you not…”—

Nancy Forrest
Nancy Forrest
2 years ago

Five years is not sufficient for covering up a heinous crime such as this. And blaming children for “tempting” the perpetrator is complete and utter nonsense. Shame on Brian Houston for using that despicable and lame justification for an abomination before our Heavenly Father. “Whatsoever you do unto the least of these, you do it unto Me,” God says in Scripture. Confess your egregious sin fully before God or answer for the consequences in the hereafter. Children must be protected, not only by parents but also trusted adults in authority such as pastors. You know that they are held to a higher standard and will have to give account for every action regarding care of their parishioners. I hope you and your father are prepared to face the consequences of your deceit, both temporally and eternally. The church should never provide cover for evil and wicked people. As a lifelong Christian, I am frankly saddened and repulsed by the lack of transparency, which is the most essential quality of leadership because it engenders trust, and the utter disregard for vulnerable children who depend on us for their safety.

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