A Hillsong sex abuse victim has blasted Prime Minister Scott Morrison for his friendship with the son of the man who raped him over a five-year period as a child.
Brett Sengstock, 57, was seven when Pentecostal pastor Frank Houston started raping him, but it wasn’t until he turned 16 that he confessed his years of pain to his mother who broke her silence after 20 years to church elders.
In an interview with The Sunday Project, Mr Sengstock opened up about how the situation was handled by his abuser’s son Brian Houston – founder of Hillsong and close friend of Scott Morrison.
The Wall Street Journal reported Mr Morrison attempted to invite Mr Houston to attend a state dinner hosted by President Donald Trump at the White House.
Brett Sengstock (pictured right), 57, said he was seven when Pentecostal pastor Frank Houston started raping him
Mr Morrison called the reports ‘gossip’, but didn’t deny them.
More recently, Mr Morrison and his wife Jenny were welcomed to the Hillsong Conference by Mr Houston.
Mr Sengstock couldn’t hide his horror.
‘Here’s the PM of this country on stage with Brian Houston, who is currently under investigation by the NSW Police, for concealing crimes of his father and they’re up there with their arms around each other. I am absolutely lost for words,’ he said.
‘The national apology (to child abuse victims), what was the point in doing it?
‘It was a scam. I think publicly he did it to appease all the abuse survivors in this country. As for backing it up with anything, it’s absolutely monstrous. An absolute disgrace.’
Mr Morrison (pictured) was accused of inviting Mr Houston to attend a state dinner hosted by President Donald Trump at the White House
More recently, Mr Morrison and his wife Jenny were welcomed to the Hillsong Conference by Mr Houston (pictured)
Mr Sengstock alleged Mr Houston found out about his father’s crimes and attempted to pay him off.
He said when Brian Houston was president of the Assemblies of God Australia in he 1990s, Frank Houston started calling him and offered him $10,000.
‘Brian Houston facilitated the money,’ he told The Sunday Project.
‘But said something to me that rocked me to this day. He said, ”You know, this is all your fault. You tempted my father”’ – a claim Mr Houston has denied.
‘My father, you know, he did some very evil things but there is no way he tried to blame the boy. He took it upon himself,’ Mr Houston previously told the Today show.
Mr Sengstock alleged Brian Houston (pictured) found out about his father’s crimes and attempted to pay him off
Mr Sengstock said was first abused as a seven-year-old, said that his family revered the religious figurehead as ‘royalty’ and would let Houston, who lived in New Zealand, stay at his family home.
He and his parents were ‘thrilled’ to host the revered preacher while he was in Australia, and said it was like the Pope coming over.
But his excitement turned to horror when, during the pastor’s stays over the course of five years, Houston would creep into his room and sexually abuse him.
‘One night Frank Houston came in and climbed on top of me and started choking me and turned me over and I passed and he raped me.’
Mr Sengstock said when Brian Houston (pictured) was president of the Assemblies of God Australia in he 1990s, Frank Houston started calling him and offered him $10,000
‘And me and Brian Houston would play on the sand together and Frank would rape me again. Late in the night, back on top of me.’
Frank told the young Mr Sengstock he was his ‘golden boy’ but warned him against telling anyone about ‘our secret – no one is going to believe you anyway’.
Mr Sengstock previously told 60 Minutes he felt ill just looking back at the horrific memories and that Houston took away everything from him.
Frank was investigated by the Assemblies of God, unveiling substantially more cases of abuse.
But Mr Houston sent a letter to the churches, writing there was ‘no reason’ for their findings to be announced.
Frank would live out the rest of his days in retirement before dying in 2004.
Ten years later, Sengstock anonymously recalled his ordeal at a Royal Commission into child sex abuse.
In his book, Brian Houston defended his actions, but relented he could have acted ‘differently’.
‘Now, the skeleton of my father’s sins has rattled yet again in the form of a public inquiry in which my motives and those of others involved have been openly questioned, and my integrity has been assailed,’ he wrote in 2015.
‘I believe with all my heart that I handled an impossible situation with transparency and honesty.
‘In hindsight, would you do some things differently? Always.’
The younger Houston founded the global empire known as the Hillsong Church.
Frank (pictured) told the young Mr Sengstock he was his ‘golden boy’ but warned him against telling anyone about ‘our secret – no one is going to believe you anyway’
The church’s profits jumped by more than $20million the year after Brian’s book was published, most of which came from donations.
Established in 1983, the church ballooned from a small communal gathering in Sydney’s north-west to a global Pentecostal Christian church with supporters including Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Brian Houston for comment.