Jehovah’s Witness found guilty of unlawful sexual relationship with teen — after silence from some senior members who refused to give evidence

A Jehovah’s Witness has been found guilty of sexually abusing a teen over a number of years – after the silence of church members who refused to give evidence.

A Jehovah’s Witness has been found guilty of sexually abusing a teenager over several years, after the abuse began at a church camp, a court ruled.

The man, who was 16 years older than the teen, was a friend of the girl’s mother and regularly attended the family home.

Allegations against the man had included that he visited the girl at her home multiple times per week – entering via her bedroom window – and had taken nude photos of her after an initial incident on a church camp.

He was found guilty of maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship with a child.

During the trial, the court heard multiple members of the church had been made aware of allegations the man was in a sexual relationship with the teen, but did not report the allegations to police.

It also heard that while two elders gave evidence at trial, multiple members and other witnesses – including a school principal – had refused to give evidence.

The man was found guilty of sexually abusing a teenager over several years. Picture: iStock

The charges against the man arose out of the release of Jehovah’s Witness internal documents to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse which showed an internal investigation had been concluded, but no referral had been made to police.

The trial heard the offending stopped after the man went to the girl’s home and, after realising she was not home, knocked on her brother’s window which led to a confrontation.

The man had denied abusing the teen and claimed her ­evidence was “untruthful and unreliable”, but he had admitted going to the teen’s bedroom at night on three occasions to counsel the teen.

During the trial, the court heard the man had been ­“disfellowed” from the church for some of the period he had been abusing the teen for reasons not involving the teen. He was allowed to return in 2017.

Auxiliary Judge Gordon ­Barrett found the victim’s account of material facts during her evidence to be “credible and reliable”.

“The strength on the complainant’s evidence on material matters lies in its detail, often the evidence of surrounding circumstances,” he said.

Judge Barrett said he found the accused had “truthfully admitted” to church elders some elements of his involvement with the teen, including that he had indecently touched the complainant’s breasts.

He said there had been some “flaws” in the evidence of the complainant, but that “in material aspects, her evidence was credible and reliable”.

“I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the ­prosecution has proved all of the particularised unlawful sexual acts,” he said.

The man remains on bail and will return to court in ­December.

Originally published as Jehovah’s Witness found guilty of unlawful sexual relationship with teen — after silence from some senior members who refused to give evidence