Sex abuse victim hits out after Brian Houston cleared

Hillsong founder Brian Houston has been found not guilty of concealing his father’s child sex abuse but the victim says the church has spent “45 years adding to his trauma”.

Hillsong founder Brian Houston has been found not guilty of concealing his father’s child sex abuse but the victim says the church has spent “45 years adding to his trauma”.

Magistrate Gareth Christofi found on Thursday the prosecution had failed to prove that Mr Houston covered up his father’s crime.

Brett Sengstock, who was abused by Brian’s father Frank Houston in 1970 as a seven-year-old, said outside court: “Regardless of today’s outcome, I have received a life sentence.”

Mr Sengstock, who waived his right to anonymity, added: “Blaming the victim is as repulsive as the assaults themselves.

“This battle has gone on for 45 years, 45 years of added trauma from this institution and their supporters.”

Brett Sengstock outside Downing Centre local court with his wife Lisa. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

Mr Houston was first told of his father’s sex abuse in 1999.

Frank Houston, himself a prominent Pentecostal pastor, confessed to his son.

Brian Houston raised it at a leadership meeting at a meeting at the Qantas club at Sydney airport that year.

Brian Houston also spoke on the telephone to Mr Sengstock about the abuse, where he claimed that the victim had told him he did not want to go to police.

The court heard Mr Sengstock denied he said words to that effect.

Mr Houston spoke outside court where he said the case was a “targeted attack” against him, but expressed sympathy to his father’s victims.

“We probably will never know the extent of his pedophilia and a lot of people’s lives have been tragically hurt, and for that it I’ll always be very sad,” he said.

“But I’m not my father. I did not commit this offence and I feel a sense of relief.

“As far as I’m concerned this was a targeted attack and if I wasn’t Brian Houston from Hillsong this charge would never have happened.”

Brian Houston was found not guilty of covering up his father’s child sex abuse. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

Magistrate Christofi said in his Judgement: “I’m not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused did not have a reasonable excuse for not reporting the information he had to the police.

“That being the case, one of the elements of the offence before the court remains unproven and the verdict therefore must be not guilty.”

However, Magistrate Christofi found that Mr Houston’s evidence regarding a meeting at Malleson’s law firm overlooking Sydney Harbour was “unsatisfactory”.

Mr Houston was supported in court by his wife Bobbie, who cried after the verdict was handed down at 11.28am, more than 90 minutes after Magistrate Christofi began speaking.

Courtroom 2.5 was overflowing, with extra chairs rolled in for Mr Sengstock and his wife Lisa, while other people stood.