William ‘Little Pebble’ Kamm and Sandra Mathison remain behind bars ahead of a bail application in Sydney
The Guardian
Australian Associated Press
March 12, 2024
A cult leader and self-professed prophet will seek release after being charged with grooming a girl from the age of six.
William Kamm, 73, also known as “Little Pebble”, was arrested on Monday alongside his 58-year-old partner, Sandra Mathison.
It followed a six-month police investigation into reports a woman had been groomed as a child by the duo.
The pair did not appear when the matter was briefly mentioned in Sydney’s Downing Centre local court on Tuesday.
Lawyer Daniel Kradolfer told the court they will apply for bail on Thursday.
Kamm was charged with grooming a child under 14 years for unlawful sexual activity, grooming a child for unlawful sexual activity and an aggravated offence of inciting a person to do a sexual act.
Mathison, who also goes by the name Sandra Costellia, was also charged with grooming a child under 14 years for unlawful sexual activity and grooming a child for unlawful sexual activity.
Police raided the religious group’s headquarters at Bangalee on the NSW south coast on Thursday, along with a property in Sydney’s city-centre, seizing a number of items for investigation.
The pair allegedly groomed a child for several years and she contacted police after becoming an adult, Det Supt Jayne Doherty said on Monday.
“She was advised by the religious leader and his partner that she had been selected to procreate with that religious leader and to build a new sect,” the detective said of the police allegations.
Kamm, who founded breakaway Catholic doomsday cult the Order of Saint Charbel, calls himself “Little Pebble” and claims to communicate with Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary through visions.
In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/mar/12/nsw-cult-leader-william-kamm-seek-release-allegations-partner-sandra-mathison-child-grooming-girl
Showing posts with label William Kamm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label William Kamm. Show all posts
Mar 12, 2024
Mar 11, 2024
Convicted pedophile cult leader William Kamm rearrested after raid on compound
Nathan Schmidt
News.com.au
March 11, 2024
An infamous cult leader and convicted pedophile has been arrested alongside his wife in Sydney’s CBD over allegations the pair groomed a woman from the age of six.
William Kamm, also known as Little Pebble, and a 58-year-old woman were taken into custody shortly after midday on Monday following a months-long investigation.
The pair are expected to be charged with child grooming offences, with Kamm, 73, also expected to be charged with failing to comply with an extended supervision order.
It comes days after specialist police swooped on the group’s headquarters in Bangalee on the NSW south coast on Thursday as well as a unit in Sydney’s CBD.
Police searched a home and two sheds at the remote property, where they located and seized a number of items.
In a statement, police said they established a strike force in September 2023 to investigate reports a woman had been allegedly groomed as a child,
Officers said they would allege in court the religious leader and his wife groomed the woman from the age of six.
Kamm was granted bail by the NSW Supreme Court in June after breaching his supervision orders for a second time.
The 73-year-old is the founder of the notorious religious doomsday cult Order of Saint Charbel, which is based out of a compound near Nowra on the NSW south coast.
Kamm spent almost a decade behind bars after sexually assaulting two teenage girls between 1993-95.
His extended supervision order is due to expire in April 2025.
https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/crime/convicted-pedophile-cult-leader-william-kamm-rearrested-after-raid-on-compound/news-story/8278c49a29bd7c48129cb2f12c1254cb
Jun 22, 2023
Pedophile cult leader William Kamm granted bail
A pedophile cult leader who sexually abused two teenage followers has scored a victory in the state’s highest court after he was arrested last month.
Adelaide Lang
NCA NewsWire
June 22, 2023
A pedophile cult leader who sexually abused two teenage followers will be allowed to live in the community after he allegedly used the internet to communicate with his followers.
William Kamm, 73, has served two jail sentences totalling more than 10 years for the sexual assault of two 15-year-old girls between 1993 and 1995 at the cult property near Nowra.
The self-proclaimed leader of the “Order of St Charbel”, who calls himself “Little Pebble”, preyed on the two female cult followers.
He told the teens they would be among his 12 “queens” and 72 “princesses” who would help him repopulate a “royal dynasty” after the second coming of Jesus.
The convicted pedophile was released on parole in 2014, but his freedom came with strict conditions.
The NSW government argued he was at high risk of reoffending and his movements should be restricted under a three year monitoring order, which was granted by the Supreme Court.
The disgraced religious figure was taken back into custody last month after he allegedly breached the court orders for the second time.
Police arrested him on May 3 after he allegedly accessed a Wordpress blog and deleted his browser history.
He was charged with four counts of failing to comply with an extended supervision order and failed in his initial bid for bail.
On Thursday, he faced the Supreme Court via audiovisual link wearing a prison-issued green tracksuit and thick glasses to ask to be released after seven weeks behind bars.
His barrister Peter Lange argued there were “significant weaknesses” in the allegations laid against the cult leader.
The court was told Kamm was accused of employing incognito mode while using an internet browser, which allowed him to search the internet without leaving a trace of his identity.
Under his strict supervision order, he is prohibited from masking his identity or deleting any data that reveals his search history.
His lawyer claimed the charges were “ultimately doomed to fail” due to technical deficiencies and ambiguous wording.
Police allege the apocalyptic prophet also emailed the St Charbel bishop to direct him to publish a prayer on the cult website.
Posting on the Wordpress-hosted website through a third party would breach the court order not to access encrypted sites, the court was told.
However, Mr Lange said it would be difficult to show that was Kamm’s intention in sending the email.
He argued that his client should be released on bail because the supervision order mandated a higher level of monitoring than he was receiving while in jail.
“Paradoxically, the community would be put at greater risk if the applicant were remanded in custody,” the defence barrister said.
He maintained that any risk to the community could be mitigated by prohibiting Kamm from possessing a smartphone or any device that would access the internet.
“It’s really the desire of the applicant to access the internet which is at the root of the offences which are alleged against him,” he said.
“If that is reduced, that would eliminate the risk of him (breaching) his bail.”
The prosecution agreed the proposal would “adequately address” concerns about Kamm’s release.
Justice Peter Garling opined the case against Kamm was “not an overwhelmingly strong one”.
He said removing the cult leader’s access to the internet would alleviate the risk of him breaching his order or committing further crimes in the vein of his convictions.
Justice Garling granted bail and directed that Kamm obtain a mobile without internet capability.
The court was told the ageing doomsday prophet would be subject to the supervision order until April 2025.
He admitted to breaching the strict conditions of his supervision order for the first time in November 2022. He had spent more than a year behind bars as a result of the breach.
Kamm ran the Order of St Charbel cult on the NSW south coast until 2005 when he was jailed for sexually abusing an underage follower.
The fringe religious sect was founded in the 1990s and centred on his claims he could communicate directly with God and the Virgin Mary.
Under his recent bail conditions, Kamm will not be allowed to resume living at the cult commune in West Cambewarra.
He has been ordered to reside at an address in Sydney and return to court on July 11 over the alleged breaches of the supervision order.
Sep 20, 2016
Paedophile cult leader says he's had human faeces and urine thrown at him in jail in bizarre YouTube video proclaiming his innocence
· Cult leader William Kamm was released from jail after serving nine years
· He was jailed for raping two teenage girls while he led his secretive sect
· The convicted sex offender has released a 37 minute YouTube video
· He revealed what went on behind bars and proclaimed his innocence
· Kamm also shifted the blame on the media for his child sex conviction
A notorious cult leader convicted of child sex offences has revealed what went on behind bars as he proclaimed his innocence in a bizarre YouTube video.
Shoalhaven cult leader William 'Little Pebble' Kamm described how he had human faeces and urine thrown at him by fellow inmates in Goulburn jail when he was serving nine years for raping two 15-year-old girls.
In a 37-minute video, titled 'Conversation with William Kamm', the 66-year-old spoke out about how he was treated inside the walls of the prison cell.+5
He described Goulburn jail as 'one of the worst jails in Australia' and believed he was targeted because of his 'high-profile' status.
'As soon as you're tagged with a sexual offence you're honoured as the worst of the worst,' Kamm said in the video, which was uploaded on August 23.
'Inmates would then climb up the fence - about 15 to 20 feet high - and take rocks, milk cartons with urine and hard apples and throw it at you and excretions (sic) at you while you were walking to get to the visiting area.
'They did this to me many times and the [prison] officers just stood back [and] did nothing.'
Kamm also revealed how he would receive death threats from other inmates - and when he notified authorities, they simply told him to 'just watch your back'.
'Well it's not exactly easy to watch your back when half of the place hates your guts,' he said.+5
He described how he had human faeces and urine thrown at him by fellow inmates in jail
Kamm claimed he was placed in a cell with another prisoner, who had murdered his fellow inmate after cutting him up into pieces before discarding his body.
'I was placed in a cell with a person who had murdered his inmate, cut him into pieces and flushed him down the toilet,' he claimed.
'And the only reason they could find out that that actually happened was, the bones were too big to flush down the toilet so they placed me in the cell with that person. They don't really care, there's no real welfare for the inmates.'
He also shifted the blame on the media for his conviction, claiming his trials were overshadowed by the media coverage that was made against him.
'We fought strenuously in court but we had really no chance because of the media, who publicised (the case) constantly,' he claimed.
'Therefore to have a fair trial would be impossible but we couldn't do anything about it and we already knew afterwards there would be no chance for me in the court.'+5
Last month, Kamm made an appeal in the NSW Supreme Court to stop monitoring his movements after he was ordered to wear an electronic tracing device
Last month, Kamm made an appeal in the NSW Supreme Court to stop monitoring his movements after he was ordered to wear an electronic tracing device.
He placed under a supervision order over concerns he could reoffend or rejoin with members of his sect on the South Coast.
As part of his strict parole conditions, Kamm must also stay away from females under the age of 17, adhere to a curfew and remain in NSW but avoid Nowra.
However, Kamm appeared confident in the video, claiming his supervision order could be overturned in the next year.
'My understanding through my lawyers and through those higher up is that my conviction should be overturned in these next 12 months or so,' he said.
His supervision order is expected to expire in January 2021.
Oct 12, 2015
NSW cult leader faces ongoing supervision
9News
October 13, 2015
A NSW cult leader and convicted sex offender could face ongoing supervision when his parole ends.
Self-professed religious leader William Kamm, also known as Little Pebble, spent nine years in jail for having sex with two underage girls, claiming God and the Virgin Mary told him to use them to repopulate the earth.
He was released on parole in November.
But the NSW government says Kamm, who founded the Order of Saint Charbel near Nowra, is a high risk offender and wants to impose ongoing restrictions on him through an interim supervision order.
Justice Robert Hulme will decide on Tuesday whether to impose any of the more than 40 conditions being sought.
http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/10/13/03/35/nsw-cult-leader-faces-ongoing-supervision
October 13, 2015
A NSW cult leader and convicted sex offender could face ongoing supervision when his parole ends.
Self-professed religious leader William Kamm, also known as Little Pebble, spent nine years in jail for having sex with two underage girls, claiming God and the Virgin Mary told him to use them to repopulate the earth.
He was released on parole in November.
But the NSW government says Kamm, who founded the Order of Saint Charbel near Nowra, is a high risk offender and wants to impose ongoing restrictions on him through an interim supervision order.
Justice Robert Hulme will decide on Tuesday whether to impose any of the more than 40 conditions being sought.
http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/10/13/03/35/nsw-cult-leader-faces-ongoing-supervision
Oct 8, 2015
NSW cult leader likely to reoffend
9News
October 8, 2015
October 8, 2015
Cult leader and convicted sex offender William Kamm has a history of sexual deviance that makes him highly likely to reoffend if not supervised, a Sydney court has heard.
The self-professed religious leader was released on parole in November, nine years after being convicted of having sex with two teenage girls because, he claimed, God and the Virgin Mary told him they were to help him repopulate the earth.
Kamm's parole is set to expire on Tuesday, freeing him from strict conditions that have been in place for the last 11 months.
But the NSW government says he is a high-risk offender and has applied to the Supreme Court for an interim supervision order which would impose ongoing restrictions.
The cult leader, who founded the Order of Saint Charbel near Nowra and also goes by the name Little Pebble, has described himself as a "handsome, sexy, attractive man".
Ian Freckelton, QC, for the government said reports show Kamm has a narcissistic personality disorder and is able to exert influence over vulnerable devotees.
In documents read to the court he stated: "Women had great respect for me. Women stood in awe of me. Women were always attracted to me, like a magnet".
The court heard Kamm has continued to protest his innocence and maintained religious beliefs which once included that he take 12 young women as Queens and 72 princesses to bear his children.
Mr Freckelton said there was every reason to believe Kamm still exerted "significant power" over the Order, which he claims has more than 500,000 supporters in 160 countries.
Reports presented to the court expressed concern that Kamm's role as a "see-er", his hyper-sexual behaviour, history of sexual deviance and belief system made him a high likelihood of sexual reoffending if he wasn't supervised beyond parole.
Justice Robert Hulme said he had reservations about a number of the conditions, of which there are more than 40.
Kamm's lawyer, David Carroll, said the conditions were "designed to limit his freedom of movement unnecessarily" and the only necessary condition was that he not have contact with anyone under 18.
He said Kamm had been compliant in not reoffending since 1995, though he noted almost half that time was spent in prison.
Justice Hulme has reserved his judgment until Tuesday.
http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/10/08/14/24/nsw-cult-leader-a-high-risk-court#Et6O1hM8CxGmRktg.99
Kamm's parole is set to expire on Tuesday, freeing him from strict conditions that have been in place for the last 11 months.
But the NSW government says he is a high-risk offender and has applied to the Supreme Court for an interim supervision order which would impose ongoing restrictions.
The cult leader, who founded the Order of Saint Charbel near Nowra and also goes by the name Little Pebble, has described himself as a "handsome, sexy, attractive man".
Ian Freckelton, QC, for the government said reports show Kamm has a narcissistic personality disorder and is able to exert influence over vulnerable devotees.
In documents read to the court he stated: "Women had great respect for me. Women stood in awe of me. Women were always attracted to me, like a magnet".
The court heard Kamm has continued to protest his innocence and maintained religious beliefs which once included that he take 12 young women as Queens and 72 princesses to bear his children.
Mr Freckelton said there was every reason to believe Kamm still exerted "significant power" over the Order, which he claims has more than 500,000 supporters in 160 countries.
Reports presented to the court expressed concern that Kamm's role as a "see-er", his hyper-sexual behaviour, history of sexual deviance and belief system made him a high likelihood of sexual reoffending if he wasn't supervised beyond parole.
Justice Robert Hulme said he had reservations about a number of the conditions, of which there are more than 40.
Kamm's lawyer, David Carroll, said the conditions were "designed to limit his freedom of movement unnecessarily" and the only necessary condition was that he not have contact with anyone under 18.
He said Kamm had been compliant in not reoffending since 1995, though he noted almost half that time was spent in prison.
Justice Hulme has reserved his judgment until Tuesday.
http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/10/08/14/24/nsw-cult-leader-a-high-risk-court#Et6O1hM8CxGmRktg.99
Nov 11, 2014
Cult leader Kamm to be freed within days
The Australian
November 11, 2014
CULT leader and convicted sex offender William Kamm is set to be freed from jail in NSW within the week.
November 11, 2014
CULT leader and convicted sex offender William Kamm is set to be freed from jail in NSW within the week.
THE self-described religious leader, known to his followers as "Little Pebble", has served more than nine years of his maximum 10-year sentence.
Kamm, 64, was handed separate sentences after ordering two teenage girls to have sex with him, saying it was God's will to help him repopulate the earth with his mystical seed.
Kamm founded the Order of Saint Charbel at Cambewarra, near Nowra, on the NSW south coast in the 1980s and convinced his followers he was God's spokesman on earth.
He manipulated a sect of old-line Catholic traditionalists to hand over their wives and daughters to populate his "Royal House".
He is believed to have fathered more than 20 children and duped dozens of females, telling them they were among the 12 queens and 72 princesses chosen to repopulate the earth after judgment day.
Kamm has been banned from frequenting the Shoalhaven districts or communicating with his victims for the next 11 months.
In that time, the 64-year-old will be electronically monitored and must not contact children under the age of 16 without the approval of a corrections officer.
The State Parole Authority said Kamm would be released no later than November 18 and he must undergo psychological assessment and counselling.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/cult-leader-kamm-to-be-freed-within-days/story-fn3dxiwe-1227119852017?nk=78bd51a08bf07fc83c56f909eaeb7a4d
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