Bill Easton has admitted 55 charges of historical child sexual abuse committed while he was a member of a secretive sect known as the Two by Twos. Photo: RNZ/Peter de Graaf
Members of an underground sect probed by the FBI want to know how a man with a reputation for being a sexual predator was allowed to continue with the group's home meetings.
The former minister of the cult - known as the Two by Twos - has pleaded guilty to a raft of historical child sexual abuse charges spanning three decades against victims who were young boys at the time.
He is 79-year-old William Stephen Easton, known as Bill Easton, from Kerikeri.
Easton was a minister of the Two by Twos from 1966, until he was removed from its leadership a decade later.
Former Two by Twos member pleads guilty to sexual abuse
The Christian sect has about 2500 members and 60 ministers in New Zealand, is not registered as a charity and has no official name or church buildings.
A hallmark of the group is that its itinerant ministers travel in pairs and stay in members' homes.
In February, the FBI confirmed it had launched a global investigation into the sect known as the Two by Twos, or The Truth, and soon afterwards victim advocates confirmed they had been contacted by alleged victims in New Zealand.
A man who has left the sect, which he calls a cult because of its coercive control, said the successful police investigation was a significant milestone.
"I think it's huge that someone is being held to account for the horrific things that have happened."
Insiders have told RNZ that Easton had a reputation as a predator, yet remained part of the group and attended meetings in members' homes until last year.
"It's hugely concerning because it just shows that even though people knew of the reasons why they were removed, those reasons were brushed aside when it pertained to meetings and religion and I just think that's appalling," the man said.
Easton appeared in the Kaikohe District Court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody until his sentencing.
His offending spanned three decades, against six victims who were young boys at the time, including one as young as eight.
A current sect insider, who wished to remain anonymous, said it was a wake-up call for the group's leaders.
"I hope that it starts to wake some people up about how bad some of these people have been and how [their offending has] been covered up to the extreme."
The insider said Easton was also banned for life from attending the sect's annual convention in Pukekohe in the 1970s but the exact reason for this was kept a secret.
They said being removed from ministry was a big deal.
"It has to have been really bad, knowing our way and knowing how they...turn a blind eye on certain things depending on who you are and how much money you have."
Sect overseer Wayne Dean stepped down from the role this month citing the "burden and weight of responsibility".
Interim leader Tim Hamilton said in a statement the sect's heartfelt message to all survivors and victims was one of support and encouragement.
"We recognise they have experienced pain and suffering through no fault of their own. We acknowledge the courage of those who have shared their experience, and are mindful also of those whose voices are still silent, unable to speak of the trauma endured."
Hamilton said they were relieved for the victims that Easton had pleaded guilty but did not intend to comment further.
He did not answer why Easton had been allowed to continue attending their meetings.
"As previously communicated, we encourage and support the reporting of abuse to the authorities and respect all action taken by the authorities in response to criminal behaviour," he said.
Gloriavale Leavers' Support Trust manager Liz Gregory said the similarities between the beliefs and coercive control of the Two by Twos and Gloriavale was "uncanny".
"It's not just about the fact that there are people who have done wrong things. There's always a bigger thing going on in the background with coercively controlling groups," she said.
"It's related to the covering up of when things happen at the time or the diminishing of them, victim blaming and shaming or the ways that they move people on to other areas."
Gregory said apologies tended to come from such groups after allegations had been aired in public.
"Do you trust them when they've got a doctrine that basically says don't interface with outside agencies, when they come out because they've been exposed, and they say oh people are welcome to go to the police. I read that and I'm hugely suspicious," she said.
"A group with so many cult markers is possibly likely just doing a PR exercise."
Easton is due to be sentenced on 6 December and it will be an opportunity for victims to read their impact statements in court, should they choose to.