Hillsong Church Founder Brian Houston Charged With Hiding Late Father's Child Sex Crimes, Months After Justin Bieber Parted Ways With Organization
Aug. 5 2021, Published 2:06 p.m. ET
The founder of Hillsong Church – the global Pentecostal organization where celebrities like Justin Bieber have been known to worship – has been charged with concealing his late father's child sex crimes.
The abuses of deceased pedophile Pastor Frank Houston – which are alleged to have been covered up by his 67-year-old son, Pastor Brian Houston – reportedly occurred in New Zealand between 1969 and 1970 and involved a then-7-year-old boy.
Brian was subpoenaed by authorities in the New South Wales Police Force in Australia on Thursday afternoon local time by way of his attorney, reports The Australian. The NSW Police began investigating him in 2014.
"Police will allege in court [Brian] 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," officials for Sydney's Royal Commission on Institutional Leaders Handling of Sexual Abuses told local outlets.
According to Brian's own admission in an email newsletter he sent to his congregation last Christmas, he's known of his dad's crimes against the boy for over two decades.
He is due to appear in court on Oct. 5, cops confirmed, per The New York Post.
"These charges have come as a shock to me given how transparent I've always been about this matter," Brian told The Post in a statement. "I vehemently profess my innocence and will defend these charges, and I welcome the opportunity to set the record straight."
A spokesperson for Hillsong told the outlet that they were "disappointed" by the charges, which carry a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison.