Australian authorities say Hillsong founder concealed child sex abuse

Australian authorities charged Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston with concealing information about child sex abuse, an allegation that reportedly stems from an incident in the 1970s, according to The Associated Press.

Police handed Houston’s attorneys a notice on Thursday for him to appear in Sydney court on Oct. 5 for the charges against him. 

A 2015 government probe into institutions’ responses to sexual misconduct found that Houston became aware that his father, Frank Houston, sexually abused a child during the 1970s. He allegedly let his father quietly retire instead of reporting him to the authorities, according to the AP. 

Frank Houston confessed to abuse of the child before his death in 2004, the AP reported. 

In a statement, Brian Houston, 67, said he will proclaim his innocence in court and defend the charges against him. 

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

In 2019, the Trump administration rejected Houston from attending a White House event, and some members of the media speculated that the administration became aware of the allegations, according to the wire service. 

Houston’s church, Hillsong, issued a statement to the newswire saying that it was “disappointed” with the accusations toward Houston, hoping that the “presumption of innocence and due process” will be handled in court, the AP noted.