What we didn't do is report it to police." Brian Houston, 68, fronted Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court. "He never did preach again and we did oversee that he was never in a position to be close to kids to be able to do that again. "We didn't cover it up, we did tell people straight away, we did take his credentials off him," Brian told Inside Story. The prosecution pointed to an interview Brian Houston gave to Nine's Inside Story, telling the court he knew in 1999 his father's act was criminal. "There's no doubt about it, before Frank Houston died, tens of thousands of people knew about his offending … including police officers," Brian's lawyer Phillip Boulten SC said. The pastor said he didn't learn about his dad's sexual abuse against boys until 1999 and once it was made public it wasn't just him that knew about it. The heart of case centres on one crucial question: Did Brian Houston have a reasonable excuse not to tell police about his father's sexual abuse of a seven-year-old boy?īrian strenuously denies the charge of concealing his late father's offence. "He did well, he got emotional, but that's to be expected. "Brett's pretty angry about it … but also he was very measured, I think he's very credible," Elley said. On the stand he described an attempt by Frank Houston to buy his silence on the back of a signed serviette when he met him and another pastor at a cafe. Today Sengstock waived his rights to court-ordered anonymity. READ MORE: Landlord left out-of-pocket after chemist walks away from lease 20 months early Former Hillsong insider turned victims' advocate Donald Elley. Sengstock was seven years old at the time. He was accused of not telling police his late father, preacher Frank Houston, sexually abused Brett Sengstock in the 1970s. Houston faces up to five years in jail if a magistrate finds him guilty of concealing a serious indictable offence. READ MORE: Couple's battle with bank over $249,000 scam
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