Brian Houston denies covering up his father‘s alleged child sex abuse

Hillsong’s global leader Brian Houston has pleaded not guilty to concealing child sex offences committed by his late father.

Hillsong’s global leader Brian Houston has pleaded not guilty to concealing child sex offences committed by his late father.

Glenhaven resident Houston, 67, entered a plea of not guilty through his lawyer to the charge at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday morning.

The Pentecostal kingpin and senior pastor — who recently stepped aside from acting on the church boards — did not have to appear at his first court appearance.

Brian Houston preaching at the Hillsong church.

Police allege Houston did not report his father, Frank Houston, after learning he abused a seven-year-old boy in the 1970s.

Court documents state Houston learned about the allegations between September 15, 1999 and November 9, 2004 at Baulkham Hills.

“Brian Houston, believing Frank Houston committed that offence and knowing that he had information that might be of material assistance in securing the prosecution of Frank Houston for that offence, without reasonable excuse, failed to bring that info to the attention of NSW Police,” the documents state.

The case was adjourned to November 23.

His late father, who died in 2004, has been accused of abusing nine boys while he was a preacher.

A Hillsong Church building in Waterloo, Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

A charge of concealing child abuse carries a maximum penalty of five years’ jail.

Houston and his wife Bobbie recently returned from a three-month preaching trip in the United States to fight the charge.

He was served a court attendance notice in August following a two-year investigation by NSW Police following the Royal Commission into Institutional responses to Child Sex Abuse.

The inquiry was told Houston sacked his father in 1999, who at the time was the National President of the Assemblies of God in Australia, after learning of the allegations.