Sunshine Coast Jehovah’s Witness church responds to sex crime allegations
There has been a new twist in an ongoing case against a member of the Sunshine Coast Jehovah’s Witness community, who faces more than 50 sex charges. Read the latest.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The church of a Sunshine Coast Jehovah’s Witness figure, who faces more than 50 charges of sex crimes, have responded to the serious allegations.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested on Sunday over 21 counts of rape, 17 of sexual assault, 13 of procuring sexual act by false pretence, torture, common assault and incest.
Police alleged the man used a position of religious standing within the religious community to target young men between 2008 and 2018.
But a Jehovah’s Witness spokesman told the Sunshine Coast Daily on Wednesday the man had no power within the church and was a “congregant” – the equivalent of a parishioner.
“The local man in question has no appointed position within the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses and was not in an appointed position throughout the time of the alleged events,” they said.
The church was co-operating with police throughout their investigation, but would not conduct their own inquiry, they said.
It comes as Maroochydore Magistrates Court heard on Wednesday, August 30, 2022 the man would not be applying for bail, after the application was adjourned from Monday, August 29.
He did not appear in court for the matter.
In court documents exclusively obtained by the Sunshine Coast Daily, it was revealed one of the four alleged victims was the man’s biological grand-nephew while the remaining alleged victims met the man through a bible study group.
All alleged victims were aged between their late teens to their early 20s.
Police said in court documents three of the alleged victims approached police independent of each other; two of which tried to report the matters to the Jehovah’s Witness Religious Elders.
The man was remanded in custody and will return to Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Friday, October 28.
More Coverage
Originally published as Sunshine Coast Jehovah’s Witness church responds to sex crime allegations
Motorcyclist airlifted after hinterland crash
A motorcyclist was being airlifted after colliding with a car in the Sunshine Coast hinterland on Sunday afternoon.
Man dies after shock crash on busy Sunshine Coast road
In a tragic outcome, a man has died after a ute crashed on a busy Sunshine Coast road.
Truck, car roll in spate of separate wet weather emergencies
Emergency crews on the Sunshine Coast have responded to multiple call-outs in heavy rain from a truck crash to reports of a car stuck in floodwaters.
Why burglar in $22k storage shed break-in is no master of disguise
A masked Sunshine Coast parolee attempted to hide his identity when he committed his latest string of crimes. It didn’t end well.
Freight company faces 43 tax charges over alleged eight-year breach
The managing director of a Noosa freight company has fronted court after the business allegedly failed to lodge GST returns for nearly a decade, facing 43 charges from the tax watchdog.
Man guilty of accessing child abuse material returns to court
A Beerwah man, recently convicted of accessing and transmitting child abuse material, was back in court on Thursday, just weeks after being released from prison.