Allegations of abuse by Kiwi pastor heard by Aussie inquiry

TVNZ
October 8, 2014

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/allegations-abuse-kiwi-pastor-heard-aussie-inquiry-6101563

A New Zealand church leader has been identified as a serial child sex abuser at a royal commission in Australia.

But before moving to Australia, ONE News has uncovered that Frank Houston was investigated by the Assembly of God Church here for molesting young boys.

For more than a decade he headed the Assembly of God churches in New Zealand.

In the 1990s he was the focus of an internal church investigation into allegations of sexual abuse against young boys. A former church pastor claims that investigation was covered up.

Across the Tasman, Frank Houston's son Brian has been centre stage at a Royal Commission of Inquiry into child sex abuse.

Brian Houston, the founder of Sydney's mega church Hillsong, is being questioned over what he did when he discovered his father had molested children in Australia.

A victim there has told the commission how Frank Houston destroyed his childhood.

"I would be asleep when he came in and then I would wake up with him standing over me," the victim said.

The victim says he told Brian Houston in 1994 about the abuse. Shortly after, his abuser called him directly.

The victim said: "He said words to the following effect of 'I want to get together to discuss some sort of money as a compensation to you. I don't want this on my head when I stand in front of God'."

The victim says a sum of $10,000 was agreed. But when it failed to materialise he called Brian Houston again who he says told him: "I'll get the money to you. You know it's your fault all of this happened. You tempted my father."

But Brian Houston denies he ever said the victim tempted his father.

The Australian commission is continuing to question Brian Houston. But it has heard as many as 50 New Zealand pastors knew about allegations of child sex abuse committed by Frank Houston before he even moved to Australia in 1976.

ONE News has tracked down a former Assembly of God executive councillor, New Zealand, Les Dowie, who told us an internal investigation into those allegations was held two decades later.

"The matter was investigated. The matter was dealt with and that was it," Mr Dowie said.

The Assembly of God church says it wants to look back at its records before commenting.

Frank Houston was kicked out of Sydney's Hillsong church in 2000 after more Australian victims came forward.

He died four years later.