Small town rallies to stop cult leader who sexually abused kids from returning to his commune where he believed he will have ’12 wives and 72 princesses waiting’ after being released from jail
- William Costellia-Kamm can return to his commune on the NSW South Coast
- He was placed on a new supervision order restricting his movements until 2024
- Police found a teen girl living in his home, dressed as a child and holding a doll
- He claims to communicate with Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary through visions
William Costellia-Kamm’s release comes despite police finding a teenage girl – who went missing from New Zealand – living in his home, dressed as a child and holding a doll
Outraged locals are rallying to stop a self-professed prophet, cult leader and child sex offender from returning to his commune.
William Costellia-Kamm will be able to return to his followers’ commune on the NSW South Coast after what has been deemed a ‘disgraceful’ Supreme Court decision.
The 70-year-old, who calls himself ‘Little Pebble’ and claims to communicate with Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary through visions, was placed on a new supervision order restricting his movements and activities until 2024.
But he can soon return to the property he owns north of Nowra after Supreme Court Justice Stephen Campbell said the risk of Costellia-Kamm reoffending could be ‘adequately managed’ with electronic monitoring and other restrictions.
His release comes despite police finding a teenage girl – who went missing from New Zealand – living in his home, dressed as a child and holding a doll.
A man from nearby Cambewarra has launched a petition to stop Kamm from coming back to his commune, which has so far been signed by hundreds of locals.
The area’s Liberal MP Shelley Hancock told the Illawarra Star: ‘I am outraged that this person is looking to return to the region; this should not happen.
‘We cannot abide people like this coming back to live anywhere near our region.’
Costellia-Kamm was released on parole in 2014 after being convicted of sexual and indecent assaults committed against two children in his cult in the 1990s.
He maintains he was falsely accused and wrongly imprisoned.
The self-professed seer claims to be in direct, revelatory communication with Jesus and his Holy Mother via monthly visions received by ‘divine inspiration’.
Costellia-Kamm was released to parole in 2014 after being convicted of sexual and indecent assaults committed against two children in his cult in the 1990s
Part of the doctrine he claims to have received is that he is to be the last pope and was to ‘re-populate a royal dynasty’ after the second coming with 12 ‘queens’ and 72 ‘princesses’.
While a court found he is likely to still believe this, Costellia-Kamm now claims Jesus told him two decades ago to ‘put aside’ that belief system until the second coming.
His lawyers told the court he wished to lead a ‘rather quiet’ life, to take up residence on the cult’s grounds in Cambewarra and to avoid the expense of renting in Sydney.
Justice Campbell said besides age, the offender’s risk profile had changed little in the past five years.
He was found guilty of numerous counts of sexual intercourse with children under 16, as well as indecent assault.
‘I remain sceptical about the defendant’s disavowal of the current applicability of the ‘queens and princesses’ doctrine,’ he said, pointing to the lack of sworn evidence by the cult leader.
‘(Kamm believes) he is to be the last pope who was to be joined in a polygamous relationship with 12 queens and a polyamorous relationship with 72 princesses … with whom he would procreate to repopulate a royal dynasty after the Second Coming.’
Concern was also raised about the defendant’s relationship with the young Kiwi woman, who left her home in New Zealand to join the cult soon after she turned 18.
The 70-year-old, who styles himself as ‘Little Pebble’ and claims to communicate with Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary through visions, was on Thursday placed on a new supervision order restricting his movements and activities until 2024
But there was no evidence Costellia-Kamm, who the court heard has a narcissistic personality disorder and is still highly regarded in his community, had been in contact with the woman when she was underage.
The judge said conditions of the supervision order needed to manage the risk of further serious sex offending.
Under the supervision regime, Costellia-Kamm will not be allowed to sign any new leases for residences at Cambewarra without the approval of a government supervisor.
He will also have to provide that supervisor any necessary keys and access codes to allow access to Cambewarra for monitoring purposes.
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