Tag: William Kamm

Future of Pebble school in doubt An exodus of followers from William Kamm‘s Order of St Charbel community at West Cambewarra has threatened the viability of the community’s school. With several members of the breakaway Catholic community leaving following Kamm’s conviction and jailing for sex offences against a 15-year-old girl, doubts have been raised about the future viability of the St Joseph’s School, located on the religious community’s grounds. Many of Kamm’s followers have already left the community, while others are planning to leave as the exodus accelerates in the wake of Kamm also being charged on Friday with additional

The future of a primary school operating within the confines of a Nowra doomsday cult is under a cloud after its leader, William Kamm, was jailed for sexually assaulting a young girl. The St Joseph’s School board is expected to meet soon to discuss whether the school will remain open next year. The NSW Board of Studies has been told the principal, David Williams, will soon resign, and a significant number of students are expected to leave. The 31-student school is in the high-security Order of St Charbel compound at Cambewarra, however Kamm followers maintain he holds no position in

Members go into hiding; Children spirited away The walls appear to be falling in on William Kamm’s Order of St Charbel, with former followers leaving the West Cambewarra community in droves, while others have gone into hiding. Kamm, known to followers as The Little Pebble, was jailed on Friday for a minimum of three and a half years after being convicted of four counts of aggravated indecent assault, and one of aggravated sexual assault, of a 15-year-old follower. That verdict and sentence is being appealed. While no one from the religious order Kamm established has been willing to speak to

Followers of a doomsday cult based on the NSW south coast have vowed to “go forward” after their spiritual leader was jailed for sex offences. Malcolm Broussard, now the most senior member of The Order of St Charbel, issued a statement yesterday urging followers to remain at peace and assuring them that “the forces of evil” had not won. Mr Broussard, a Texan who uses the title bishop but was officially excommunicated from the Catholic Church in 2003, posted a message on the group’s website saying “this community will continue to go forward”. William Kamm, known to followers as The

A woman has told how she was abused when just 15 years old to gratify the depraved sexual desires of controversial religious leader William Kamm. Wiping away tears as she spoke, the 27-year-old woman told Sydney District Court on Friday she had loved and trusted Kamm, known to followers as the Little Pebble, since the age of six when her family moved to Kamm’s West Cambewarra religious community. But she said Kamm “violated my innocence” nine years later, kissing and touching her after choosing her to be one of his mystical wives. That violation brought four charges of aggravated indecent

The NSW Board of Studies will investigate a private school established by a Nowra doomsday cult after cult leader William Kamm was convicted of sexual assault. Acting NSW Education Minister David Campbell said the investigation would review the safety of the students at St Joseph’s School after Kamm’s conviction on Friday. It will also examine the school’s registration, which entitles it to hundreds of thousands of dollars in government funding. “In light of these convictions, the Board of Studies will undertake an independent investigation of St Joseph’s School,” Mr Campbell said. “We need to ensure that the school is a

The jury deliberating on sexual assault charges against a religious leader known as The Little Pebble is “making progress” and expects to reach a verdict, the NSW District Court was told today. After nearly two-and-a-half days of considering allegations against 55-year-old William Kamm, Judge John Williams today asked the jury if there was any prospect of reaching a verdict by today or tomorrow. “We’re making progress,” the jury foreman told the court. “We are not ready yet (to give a verdict) but I believe we will.” The jury will meet again in the morning to further consider four charges of