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A 15-YEAR-OLD schoolgirl was to bear 17 children to a self-styled religious leader who told his followers he would be the final pope before the end of the world. The woman, now in her 20s, told the New South Wales District Court yesterday that William Kamm, 55, had molested her in 1993 soon after he had chosen her to be one of his "spiritual brides". Mr Kamm, 55, known to his followers as Little Pebble, is charged with four counts of aggravated indecent assault and one count of sexual intercourse in circumstances of aggravation. In the early 1990s, the girl and her family joined Mr Kamm's religious group, the Order of St Charbel, and went to live at his compound in Cambewarra, near Nowra on the NSW south coast. Mr Kamm, who the family believed could speak to the Virgin Mary, chose the child to be one of 12 queens and 72 princesses who would produce the "new tribe" after the end of the world. "We believed he was a prophet, a very holy man," the woman said yesterday. "The world was going to come to an end and there would be lots of chastisements, as in tidal waves, earthquakes." The woman said her family had been proud when she was chosen as one of Mr Kamm's queens. "I understood it to be an extremely important role. We were all hoping one of us would be a queen, someone special in God's eyes." The girl alleges that in 1993 Mr Kamm kissed, groped and digitally penetrated her. Prosecutor Richard Herps tended at least 20 letters of correspondence between Mr Kamm and the then 15-year-old. In the letters Mr Kamm spoke of his love for the child and his desire to spend time alone with her. He wrote that she would "receive 17 children from my seed" and live with her in a castle in Germany when the "new era" arrived. The letters also urged the child not to tell Mr Kamm's wife that she had been chosen as his queen. "Bettina is not aware of any of this and would die if she knew," one of Mr Kamm's letters said. In some of the letters, Mr Kamm inquired about the child's attitude towards sex. He told her "we can make love any time but you cannot fall pregnant yet." The trial continues. The Australian (16-6-2005) David King |
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A CULT leader today maintained his innocence despite a jury convicting him of molesting a 15-year-old girl more than a decade ago on the NSW south coast. His victim wiped tears from her eyes as William Kamm, 55, was found guilty on all five charges against him, while a band of faithful supporters of the self-appointed prophet kept silent. The so-called Little Pebble claimed to have received advice from the Virgin Mary that the girl should be chosen as one of 12 queens and 72 princesses who would become his mystical wives to spawn an immaculate race after the world ended. The NSW District Court was told how he sent the teenager a series of explicit love letters, repeatedly stating how sexy she was and that heaven had granted permission for them to sleep together. The victim, now 27, told how Kamm passionately kissed and fondled her breasts a number of times and on one occasion masturbated her when she lived within the Order of St Charbel community based at Cambewarra near Nowra. The eight women and four men of the jury ultimately upheld all four counts of aggravated indecent assault and one of aggravated sexual intercourse dating back to 1993. Kamm maintained a calm composure throughout the trial, but appeared slightly flushed when the verdict came down after three days of deliberations. He faced the media shortly afterwards with watery eyes, sometimes managing a smile, but he would not comment on a barrage of questions about his conduct. Outside the court, Kamm's defence barrister Greg Stanton said his client maintained his innocence and would appeal the verdict. "Mr Kamm respects the right of the jury to determine the verdict that it has," Mr Stanton said. "He maintained his innocence and we will be in due course pursuing a rights of appeal." During the trial, Mr Stanton made seven failed applications for the judge to either dismiss the jury or order Kamm's acquittal on several grounds including media coverage and evidence-related issues. Mr Stanton tried to shield his client from media questions about whether he was sorry for his actions or for writing a series of sexy love letters to the girl. Prosecutor Richard Herps argued that Kamm himself had corroborated allegations in three of the five charges by writing things like, "I hope I didn't stir you up too much by touching your leg" and, "I could have made love to you there and then but it was not the time or place". The court also was told how Kamm's repeated calls to deepen the relationship were reinforced by the Virgin Mary, according to divine communications allegedly received by the Little Pebble and written in the girl's prayer diary. Judge John Williams continued Kamm's bail and set a sentencing date of September 16. Mr Stanton said a psychological assessment of Kamm also would be obtained. AAP (8-7-2005) |
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