Brian Houston, founder of the global megachurch Hillsong, was acquitted in a Sydney court of covering up child sexual abuse committed by his father in the 1970s.

Sydney Magistrate Gareth Christofi ruled that 69-year-old Houston had a reasonable excuse for not reporting the misconduct carried out by his father, Frank Houston, who died in 2004 at the age of 82. It is believed he used his position as a pastor to abuse as many as nine boys, but he was never charged.

Christofi on Thursday ruled that the younger Houston had followed the wishes of victim Brett Sengstock by not reporting the crimes to police. He said there was “little doubt” Houston knew Sengstock did not want to report the abuse and “therefore had a reasonable excuse for not bringing the matter to the attention of police.”

Houston was still the church’s senior global pastor when Australian authorities charged him two years ago with concealing a serious indictable offense. He resigned from his roles at Hillsong just months later.

The case against the Houstons dates all the way back to 1999, when Brian Houston first became aware of his father’s abuse of the then-7-year-old Sengstock. At the time, his father confessed and resigned as a pastor. And while Brian Houston discussed aspects of Frank Houston’s offenses with church leaders, he never reported them to authorities.

Prosecutor Darreth Harrison unsuccessfully argued the move was a bid to protect both the church and his father. He called it a convenient excuse rather than an effort to shield the victim.

What’s more, Sengstock, who has chosen to identify himself in the media, told the Australian court he never asked that the abuse be kept a secret.

“Frank Houston was no pioneer for Christianity. His legacy remains a faded memory of a pedophile,” Sengstock told reporters after the decision.

“Regardless of today’s outcome, I have received a life sentence,” he continued. “Blaming the victim is as repulsive as the assaults themselves.”

Brian Houston also addressed reporters outside the court room.

“I want to express my sadness to Brett Sengstock, genuine sadness about what my father did to him and all his victims,” he said with tears hanging in his eyes. “He was obviously a serial pedophile. We probably will never know the extent of his pedophilia.”

Brian Houston had faced a potential 5-year prison sentence if convicted. In 1983, he established Hills Christian Life Centre with his wife Bobbie in Sydney, which grew into the Hillsong megachurch. Many celebrities have attended services in the yeas since, including Justin Bieber, Chris Pratt, Kylie and Kendall Jenner, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Kourtney Kardashian and Vanessa Hudgens.

With News Wire Services

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