Sunshine Coast Jehovah’s Witness figure’s wife’s court submission on sex charges

The wife of a Sunshine Coast Jehovah’s Witness figure arrested on 54 sex charges has defended her partner saying some alleged victims were ‘apostates’ against their church.

Court documents can reveal the wife of a Jehovah’s Witness figure arrested on 54 sex charges against four men including his grand-nephew said some of the alleged victims “have an axe to grind” after leaving their church.

The Sunshine Coast man, who cannot be named due to legal reasons, was arrested on August 28, 2022 following an investigation by detectives which led to him being charged with 21 counts of rape, 17 of sexual assault, 13 of procuring sexual act by false pretence, torture, common assault and incest.

Maroochydore Magistrates Court heard on August 29, 2022 the man would be applying for bail however this was abandoned on August 31, 2022 with his matters adjourned to October 28, 2022.

Police allege the Sunshine Coast man used his position of religious standing within the Jehovah’s Witness community to target young men in their late teens to early 20s between 2008 and 2018.

The Jehovah’s Witness figure was arrested by Sunshine Coast detectives on 54 sex charges. Pictured is a religious stock image.

The alleged offences related to four men with one being a biological grand-nephew while others were met through bible study.

Court documents say the Jehovah’s Witness figure allegedly filmed the rapes he called “energy exercises” and also made victims do naked “positive affirmations”.

Police alleged the married man was wealthy, held international passports and was a very high flight risk if granted bail.

In sworn affidavits submitted to the court by the defence, it can be revealed the man’s partner of several decades knew the alleged victims, and in her words said some of them “have an axe to grind against our Jehovah Witness Church”.

The wife goes on to call them “apostates” which means former followers who renounce their religion.

In her affidavit to Maroochydore Magistrates Court, she lists all alleged victims and goes through their ties to her husband through the Jehovah’s Witness church.

The woman said one of the alleged victims blamed her husband for the breakdown in their friendship when he “chose to embrace a lifestyle contrary to bible teachings that the church aligns with”.

The Jehovah’s Witness figure will face Maroochydore Magistrates Court again on October 28, 2022. Picture: Patrick Woods.

“He blames the church for alienating him from his family who chose to adhere to their church belief system instead of siding with him,” she said in court documents.

She said other victims blamed the church following the breakdown of their relationships while others left the religion.

In court documents detectives say they’ve been unable to make inquiries within the religion or approach witnesses due to the “secretive” and “closed ranks” among the Jehovah’s Witness church.

“Police don’t know where loyalties lie,” detectives said in court documents.

“The victims were accused of being homosexual, rather than (alleged) victims of systematic sexual offending.

“They were therefore not believed.”

A Jehovah’s Witness spokesman previously told the Sunshine Coast Daily the man was a “congregant” and had no power within the church.

“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.

Originally published as Sunshine Coast Jehovah’s Witness figure’s wife’s court submission on sex charges