Paedophile vicar from Huddersfield who sexually abused
young girl caught after wife found vile pictures on his phone
A judge at Leeds Crown Court handed Gordon Newton an extended prison sentence and told him: “You hold yourself as a man of God, but you are nothing. You are a hypocrite"
huddersfieldexaminer
Gordon Newton sexually abused a young girl and was handed an extended prison sentence
(Image: Twitter/Gordon Newton)
A paedophile vicar who sexually abused a young girl has been jailed and branded a “hypocrite” by a crown court judge having “abused the trust of so many”.
Gordon Newton, from Huddersfield, described his own crimes as “disgusting and vile” after admitting six counts of sexual assault of a child and a further three counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.
The 40-year-old’s mortified wife also discovered a mobile phone with horrific images of abuse and handed it over to police forcing him to admit his guilt and shame, Leeds Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Julian Jones heard Newton had searched for images of young girls and boys between the ages of two and 16 and had 70 category A images on his phone - the worst kind.
One of the search terms was specifically to seek pictures of children under the age of three years old, while other searches centred around an interest in urination.
In a harrowing statement read to the court, Newton’s wife said she has had to have therapy as a result of his offending, but more shockingly had begun to question her own faith.
It read: “I no longer know what is real and what to believe anymore. I question every bit of my life. Since February, my faith has been non-existent.”
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Newton, who appeared via videolink from prison wearing glasses and a blue and grey polo shirt, was jailed for six years and seven months and will serve an extended licence period of three years.
Judge Tom Bayliss QC said Newton’s position became “untenable” following the discovery of the mobile phone filled with indecent images.
He told him: “You hold yourself as a man of God, but you are nothing. You are a hypocrite.”
Judge Bayliss described his crimes as an “extremely wicked series of acts” adding that he had “abused the trust of so many others in so many ways”.
He added: “You used that child for your own sexual gratification. You placed your needs for sexual gratification of the needs and rights of an extremely vulnerable young child.”
Newton, of Cross Church Street, Huddersfield, also admitted three counts of making indecent images.
He will be on the sex offenders’ register for life and a sexual harm prevention order was made for the same period of time.
Detective Constable Mark Gregory said: “We welcome the sentence imposed on Newton today for a number of clearly very serious sexual offences.
“Reports of child sexual offending are treated with the utmost seriousness by Kirklees Police and we can promise all reported offences will be thoroughly investigated with full support offered to victims.”
Religions have slammed sex abuse of children as a “catastrophic failure”
BY HELENA SUTAN
ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2021
Brinkwire
Faith-based organizations have been accused of failing to safeguard children from paedophiles and instead blaming the victims.
A hard-hitting UK investigation has discovered that religious organizations are guilty of “blatant hypocrisy” by covering up horrible mistreatment in order to save their names.
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse released shocking findings Thursday, including abuse of power and a chilling effect on reporting of crimes.
“Some religious organisations have catastrophically failed to protect children in their care,” said Richard Scorer, a lawyer for the victims.
“Many have sporadic or nonexistent safety policies and support for abuse victims and survivors. This is unacceptably dangerous.”
A seven-year-old kid was sexually raped at a Sunday school summer camp shortly after his mother died, according to the IICSA. He was cautioned, however, not to tell anyone since “no one in the church would believe him.”
After being mistreated by a church volunteer, a 12-year-old girl told her mother. The paedophile was initially regarded as a “respected” church member, but it was then revealed that he had been fired from the police force for having sex with a kid.
In addition, four youngsters between the ages of nine and ten were sexually molested while being educated in a mosque. The teacher was ultimately sentenced to 13 years in prison.
In England and Wales, the IICSA looked at evidence from 38 religious organizations.
They included non-conformist Christians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Islam, Baptists, Methodists, Judaism, Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Separate investigations were conducted into the Anglican and Catholic churches.
Faith groups aim to teach children the difference between right and wrong and can have a significant impact on millions of children’s lives.
“The moral turpitude of their inadequacies in the prevention of, or response to, child sexual abuse is thus heightened,” according to the IICSA study.
Some organizations had no child safety policies, while others were only half-hearted about it.
“Religious believers may find it difficult to understand that members of their congregation or religious leaders may abuse others,” the research stated.
“Some people believe it is unnecessary to establish precise child protection measures or to follow them to the letter.”
According to the IICSA, 11 percent (443 cases) of all known institutions where abuse occurred between early 2015 and January 2020 were committed within a religious organization or environment.
Its report, which was based on 16 days of public hearings held last year, concluded that child sexual abuse in religious organizations and contexts is likely to be under-reported.
All child sexual abuse is under-reported, everywhere.
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An LDS bishop was removed from his Idaho post
He faces multiple sexual abuse charges
BY IAN MAX STEVENSON
UPDATED SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 4:15 PM
A gold-leafed statue of the Angel Moroni is placed atop The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in Meridian in July 2016. A bishop of a church ward in Nampa has been removed from his position after child sexual abuse allegations surfaced. KYLE GREEN IDAHO STATESMAN FILE
A bishop of Nampa’s 30th Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was removed from his post after allegations that he sexually abused two minors. He has since been charged with two counts of lewd conduct with a child and two counts of child sexual abuse, according to court records.
Dylan Kevin Whiting, 33, of Nampa, served as a lay bishop in the LDS church from December 2019 until January 2021, when he was removed from his position after the church became aware of allegations against him, according to a church spokesperson. Nampa’s 30th Ward is within the Nampa Idaho East Stake, which is a larger district made up of multiple wards.
According to an affidavit from the Nampa Police Department, the two individuals in Whiting’s case are known to him personally rather than through his church involvement. The abuse allegedly occurred between 2011 and 2020.
Whiting has been charged with touching two underage girls in a sexual manner, according to a criminal complaint. Lewd conduct with a minor is punishable by up to life in prison, while child sexual abuse is punishable by up to 25 years.
In the LDS church, a bishop is an unpaid leader of a local congregation — called a ward — who “oversees the spiritual and social needs of their ward members,” according to the church’s website. Bishops usually serve for around five years, and are assisted by two counselors. All three individuals are together called the bishopric.
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“Upon learning of these allegations in early January, Church officials immediately took steps to remove this individual from his lay leadership position in the Church,” Sam Penrod, a spokesperson for the church in Salt Lake City, said in a statement emailed to the Idaho Statesman. “Abuse of any kind is not tolerated in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Anyone who engages in such behavior is rightfully subject to criminal prosecution and also faces discipline from the Church, including loss of Church membership.”
The faith declined to say whether Whiting is still a member.
Whiting was arraigned in Canyon County District Court on the four felony charges on April 12. On April 15, he posted $100,000 bail. On June 28 he pleaded not guilty to all four charges, and the case was ordered to mediation on Sept. 3, according to court records. A no-contact order with the two individuals is active while the case is ongoing, or until 2023.
Attempts to reach Whiting by email and phone were unsuccessful.
In legal mediation, a neutral arbiter — a judge — assists those involved in reaching a mutually acceptable agreement. Participating in mediation is voluntary, and can be used to resolve “some or all” of a case’s issues, according to the Idaho Supreme Court. Mediations are also confidential, and the arbiters involved do not preside over any future proceedings related to the case.
Hillsong’s Brian Houston steps down from church boards amid charges
By Anugrah Kumar,
Christian Post Contributor|
Saturday, September 18, 2021
Hillsong founding Pastor Brian Houston
Pastor Brian Houston, the lead pastor of the global multisite Hillsong Church who was charged last month with allegedly concealing sex abuse committed by his father decades earlier, has said he is stepping down from his role on various church boards so that they can continue to “function to their fullest capacity.”
“I ... wanted to let you know that I’ve made a decision to step aside from my role on the Hillsong Church boards that oversee the governance of our operations,” Houston, the senior pastor of the Australia-based congregation, wrote in an email, according to The Roys Report.
“I did this so that these boards can function to their fullest capacity during this season. This doesn't change my role as Global Senior Pastor. I thought it was important to let our church family know in the interests of transparency, and I wanted you to hear it from me directly,” added the 67-year-old leader of the Sydney-based megachurch.
Police officials announced last month that Houston was being charged with “concealing child sex offenses,” The Associated Press reported at the time.
“Police will allege in court [that Houston] knew information relating to the sexual abuse of a young male in the 1970s and failed to bring that information to the attention of police,” stated Australian authorities, as quoted by the AP.
In a statement to The Christian Post through Hillsong, Houston expressed “shock” at the charges. “These charges have come as a shock to me given how transparent I’ve always been about this matter,” Houston said. “I vehemently profess my innocence and will defend these charges, and I welcome the opportunity to set the record straight.”
The church also provided a statement to CP, explaining that they were “disappointed that Pastor Brian has been charged, and asked that he be afforded the presumption of innocence and due process as is his right.”
“He has advised us that he will defend this and looks forward to clearing his name. Given that this matter is now before the court, neither Pastor Brian or Hillsong Church will be making further statements,” Hillsong added.
The probe into whether Houston tried to cover-up an incident in which his late father, Frank Houston, sexually abused a minor in the 1970s was initiated years ago. In 2014, in response to that probe, Houston denied knowing anything about the $10,000 compensation payment made to a man who his father sexually abused as a child.
Houston said he was “totally devastated” to learn about his father’s abuse and he “had to come to terms with the fact that the person I looked up to was not who I thought he was.”
After Houston was charged, his church said in a statement: “We ask that he be afforded the presumption of innocence and due process as is his right. He has advised us that he will defend this and looks forward to clearing his name. We thank all who are a part of our church for their support and prayers at this time.”
Recently, some serious leadership problems also surfaced at the United States-based Hillsong East Coast, especially regarding the financial and sexual scandals surrounding Carl Lentz, including an affair.
Other Hillsong resignations that followed Lentz included Darnell Barrett, creative director of Hillsong Church Montclair in New Jersey, and Reed and Jess Bogard from Hillsong Dallas, which has since closed.
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