Brian Houston Verdict in Sex Abuse Scandal To Be Announced Tomorrow
Tomorrow marks a pivotal day for Brian Houston, the disgraced former Global Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church, as the verdict of his high-profile case will be announced. The charges against him? Allegedly covering up sexual abuse committed by his late father over 30 years ago. The punishment if found guilty? Up to five years in prison.
According to court transcripts and multiple depositions, Houston was informed about allegations against his father in 1999, five years before his father’s death. However, he kept the matter under wraps instead of turning to the authorities, citing the victim’s wish for confidentiality.
During his trial, Crown Prosecutor Gareth Harrison presented a different perspective on Houston’s decision. He argued that Houston’s primary motive for not reporting his father was not to protect the victim but rather to safeguard the church’s reputation.
To bolster their point, Harrison raised the issue of a $10,000 payment made to the victim, facilitated by Houston himself, calling this an apparent attempt at buying the victim’s silence and labeling it “hush money.”
However, Houston’s lawyer, Phillip Boulten, firmly maintained that Houston respected the victim’s request for privacy. According to Houston, the victim explicitly expressed his wish to refrain from civil or criminal action against Frank Houston. He further clarified that the $10,000 was not intended as hush money but as a means to aid the victim’s healing process.
While Houston awaits the verdict, he was recently seen on Instagram noting that Hillsong was celebrating their 40th anniversary, lamenting that he was not invited to participate.
