Hillsong founder Brian Houston has broken his silence and expressed devastation over allegations he concealed his father's sexual abuse of a boy.
Houston, 67, was charged by police in his home state of NSW last Thursday, accused of concealing his dead father Frank's historic sexual abuse of a seven-year-old boy.
He has vowed to 'vehemently' defend the case in court but faces up to five years behind bars if found guilty.
Despite the serious charges, Houston remains in America where he hosted a series of church services in Springfield and Kansas City in Missouri on Sunday.
Houston briefly commented on the charges against him when he confronted by a reporter while leaving his hotel before dodging further questions.
'Obviously I'm devastated, thanks,' he told Nine's US correspondent Alison Piotrowski before getting into the car.
Houston refused to say when he's heading back to Australia or how he managed to obtain a travel exemption to travel overseas while other Aussies remain separated from loved ones due to coronavirus restrictions.
Hillsong founder Brian Houston (pictured) says he's 'devastated' about the charges against him before dodging further questions
Houston has been based in the United States for the last couple of months, where Hillsong has a large church presence.
The evangelical church leader will eventually return to Australia to undergo two weeks of hotel quarantine in Sydney before appearing in Downing Local Court on October 5.
Houston's refusal to comment on his travel exemption comes after NSW Police Minister David Elliot accused him of receiving 'preferential treatment'.
'Last year he had to go overseas and he wanted preferential treatment to go into a five-star suite. We arranged it,' Mr Elliott told the Sydney Morning Herald.
'[This is] despite the fact that the Pope, President Biden and Foreign Minister Marise Payne can do most of their work remotely... and he's just a suburban preacher. Then he criticised our Covid policy. He's an ungrateful twat.'
Much is on the line for Brian Houston (right), who with wife Bobbie is the co-founder of the Hillsong church. The megachurch grew out of an evangelical parish in the north-western suburbs of Sydney, Australia
Brian Houston (pictured) refused to say how he obtained a travel exemption to travel overseas while other Aussies remain separated from loved ones due to coronavirus restrictions
Mr Elliott said he was appalled to learn Houston travelled to Mexico during the pandemic, appearing to leave his parishioners high-and-dry during one of the most difficult times imaginable.
Houston's church is within Mr Elliott's electorate, and he recently spent time with a man whose 12-year-old niece took her own life, partially due to the strain of lockdown.
Mr Elliott claims the man turned to his local MP after realising his pastor, Houston, was out of town and not returning any time soon.
'Houston was nowhere to be seen, he was in Mexico,' Mr Elliott said. '
'And at that time, I didn't know that the local constabulary were putting a brief together to charge him with allegedly concealing child abuse.'
Sins of the father: Frank Houston (above with wife Hazel) died in 2004 aged 82. He had confessed to having a sexual interest in young boys prior to his death, including abusing a boy, seven, in 1969 and 1970
Star power: Two of the church's most famous parishioners were pop star Justin Bieber (who no longer follows Hillsong) and its celebrity pastor Carl Lentz (who was ousted in a sex scandal)
Seven years ago, a royal commission found that Houston's dad Frank had confessed to having abusing the young boy during trips to Sydney in 1969 and 1970.
But when the claims eventually came to light, Brian didn't report the crimes to NSW Police.
If found guilty, Houston
