Australian court finds Hillsong Church founder not guilty of covering up sex abuse

SYDNEY (Reuters) - An Australian court on Thursday found Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston not guilty of concealing sexual abuse his father committed against a young male in the 1970s, media reported.

Australian police in 2021 charged him with failing to report the sex abuse by his father, Frank Houston, an allegation Brian Houston strenuously denied before stepping down from ministry responsibilities last year.

Judge Gareth Christofi said the younger Houston had a "reasonable excuse" for not reporting the matter and believed that the victim did not want it reported to police, according to media reports.

The court rejected charges that Houston covered up the abuse to protect the church's reputation, saying he spoke openly about his father's crimes.

The victim had given evidence in court that the abuse was a "hideous secret", which he did not want others to know, the media reports said.

In a statement, Hillsong Church said it acknowledged the decision of the court and hoped those affected "deeply and irrevocably by the actions of Frank Houston will find peace and healing".

Hillsong's website says Brian Houston founded the "contemporary Christian church" with his wife, Bobbie, in Australia in 1983, in the western suburbs of Sydney. Now it has churches in 30 countries with a global weekly attendance of 150,000.

(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Gerry Doyle)