Church of Destiny follower arrested and charged with historic sexual assault involving teens

A Destiny Church follower has been arrested and charged with sexually abusing teenagers in an alleged offense involving a group of South Auckland youths.

The man faces six charges in connection with two alleged victims. He is due to appear in the Manukau District Court next week.

The 29-year-old man was taken into custody yesterday.

The mother of one of the alleged victims told Herald police contacted her Thursday about the man's arrest.

“They just wanted to let me know he had been arrested.

“I'm happy…it's a huge burden that's been lifted, and for my boy too.”

THE Sunday Herald revealed last week that a follower of Destiny Church had been resigned and a police investigation was launched into allegations the man sexually abused young people in his care.

THE Herald understands that there are multiple alleged victims, with the alleged abuse spanning several years.

In a statement yesterday afternoon, Detective Inspector Natalie Nelson, of County Manukau CIB, said charges had been laid “as part of an ongoing investigation into historical allegations of sexual assault”..

They dated back to at least 2020 and involved “an individual linked to a group of young people”.

The man was charged and released on bail and is due to appear in the Manukau District Court next Wednesday.

“The man faces six charges of indecent assault and, at this stage, the charges relate to offenses against two victims,” Nelson said.

“As charges have been filed, we are limited in our ability to provide further comment on this matter.

“Police continue to carry out inquiries, including speaking to other people, and therefore further charges cannot be ruled out.

“We continue to encourage anyone with questions to raise with police to come forward. Any complaints will be treated confidentially and police will ensure support services are available.

The man was a long-time disciple of Destiny. His Facebook page is full of photos of religious events, many involving teenagers.

There are also several images of him at the same events as Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki, including that of the man anointed by the self-proclaimed apostle.

Destiny Church declined to comment on the allegations when contacted by the Herald Last week, a spokeswoman said: “We are unable to comment while this is under police investigation. That's all I'm willing to say.

However, after the story broke, Tamaki took to social media to respond to the allegations, saying his heart went out to all the alleged victims and their families, and that he hoped police would quickly investigate the matter. 'affair.

He also attacked Herald to tell the story, describe the Sunday Herald report as “another blockbuster and gutter story” designed to tarnish his name – telling his staunch supporters “not to fall for their lies”.

“I have nothing to do with this alleged offender, I don’t even know him, nor do I know everyone who attends our church,” Tamaki wrote.

“I have neither the time nor the tolerance for [any] individuals who harm young people.

Police confirmed last week they were investigating “historical sexual assault allegations” involving a group of County Manukau youths.

The mother of one of the alleged victims alerted police in November after her son revealed the alleged abuse.

It is understood that police then contacted Destiny Church, who immediately resigned from his volunteer role and banned him from the church.

Addressing the controversy in posts on his Facebook page, Tamaki said the alleged offender was never made head of the Church of Destiny's youth ministry.

“When the Church became aware of the allegations made against this individual through his volunteer work, he was prohibited from attending the Church of Destiny.

“When this individual began attending another church in County Manukau, Destiny Church informed that church of the allegations made against his [sic] individual.”

Tamaki said he “applauds” the police for investigating the case and taking the alleged victims’ testimonies seriously.

“We hope that justice will be served quickly. We will not comment further on this case, therefore [any alleged] victims are not barred from receiving a fair trial.

Church of Destiny leader Brian Tamaki says media reports of alleged abuse are a 'distraction'

Tamaki called media reports of the alleged abuse a “distraction.”

“As we continue to target the gender ideology in this country and undermine the perversion that underpins it, of course they are going to continually try to poison the public against me.”

Tamaki said that despite photos of the two men at the same events, he did not know the alleged attacker.

“People come up to me all the time and want a picture with Hannah and me. This does not mean that I approve of them.

“I pray and anoint every member of my church regularly, again, this does not mean I condone their actions.

“A church welcomes everyone as they are, and all kinds of people come through the doors, and we challenge them to change for the better, but ultimately the decision is theirs. »

Tamaki wrote that only “healthy married couples” were allowed to lead Destiny's youth work.

“I fight every day to protect our future generation. I have neither the time nor the tolerance for [any] individuals who cause harm to young people.

“My heart goes out to the family or [any alleged] victims involved and I hope that the police will quickly investigate this matter.

In last week's statement confirming an investigation was underway, a police spokesperson said: “Given the nature of these complaints, there is a specialist process which must be implemented to progress investigation “.

Police would not comment on details due to the ongoing investigation and for privacy reasons, the spokesperson said.

Lane Nichols is a senior reporter and deputy news director based in Auckland. Before joining the Herald in 2012, he spent a decade at Wellington's Dominion Post and the Nelson Mail.