Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston not guilty of concealing father's abuse

Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston has been found not guilty of concealing the crimes of his paedophile father.

Australian prosecutors had argued Brian Houston tried to cover up his father's sexual abuse of a child in the 1970s.

The Church founder has said he learned of the abuse only decades later and did not report it because the victim did not want police involved.

Frank Houston, who died in 2004, is believed to have used his position as a pastor to abuse as many as nine boys.

On Thursday, Magistrate Gareth Christofi ruled that Brian Houston had a "reasonable excuse" under the law not to tell authorities.

Prosecutors had said that Mr Houston had no regard for victim Brett Sengstock's wishes, but rather his "only focus" was protecting the Church. That the victim did not want police involved was a convenient excuse, they said.

But the magistrate said a convenient excuse may also be a reasonable one.

"It may be that in this case there is an alignment between the interest of Mr Sengstock and the interest of the Church," he said.

Hillsong has become famous for a brand of modern evangelism that has attracted millions of followers.

It also made Brian Houston one of the world's most famous preachers. He remained the church's global senior pastor until 2022 when he resigned following allegations he behaved inappropriately towards two women.

This is a breaking news story - more to follow.