Brian Houston indicted for concealing father’s sex abuse

The Hillsong megachurch founder and senior pastor, Brian Houston, was indicted on Thursday in Australia for concealing the child sex abuse of his father Frank Houston. The prolonged investigation commenced in 2019 and relates to events that were made public in 1999 over a man who died in 2004. The Australian government statement reads:

A church leader has been charged over the alleged concealment of alleged child sex offences. In 2019, an investigation commenced by officers attached to The Hills Police Area Command into reports a 67-year-old man had knowingly concealed information relating to child sexual offences. Following extensive investigations, detectives requested the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) review their brief of evidence. Earlier this week, the ODPP provided advice to police, and following further inquiries, detectives served a Court Attendance Notice for conceal serious indictable offence on the man’s legal representative about 2pm today (Thursday 5 August 2021). Police will allege in court the man 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. The man is expected to appear in Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday 5 October 2021

Though the Australians strangely describe but do not name Houston, he has published statements in major media outlets. He told the New York Times:

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

This is not a new story. Evangelical Dark Web touches on this issue in its research on the legitimacy of Brian Houston. Brian Houston claims he never let his father preach after it became public in 1999. However, there is audio, from 2004 that disproves this. However, as Evangelical Dark Web notes, what is indisputable about Brian Houston’s relationship with his father’s conduct is the following:

Frank Houston molested up to nine boys

Brian Houston knew back in 1999

Alleged quote from Houston “You know, it’s your fault all this happened. You tempted my father”.

Brian Houston facilitated payments to victims.

Brian Houston did not call police

Brian Houston continued letting his father preach

This would make Brian Houston in no way qualified to preach according to 1 Timothy 3. Additionally, Brian Houston has not given up his post as the Hillsong’s leader. This latest news piles on the list of scandals that have plagued Hillsong in the last year, starting with Carl Lentz’s adultery. It is reasonably concluded that Frank Houston being a homosexual pedophile bleeds into Hillsong’s theology regarding sex.