William Stephen Easton, of Kerikeri, admitted multiple charges of historical child sex abuse when he appeared in the Kaikohe District Court Photo: RNZ/Peter de Graaf
- A former minister of an underground sect has pleaded guilty to multiple charges
- The charges are of historical child sex abuse spanning four decades
- The Kerikeri 79-year-old has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced in December
- The religious group known as the Two by Twos, or The Truth, is also under investigation
- The FBI is investigating it for historical child sexual abuse
A Kerikeri man 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.
William Stephen Easton, known as Bill Easton, was remanded in custody when he appeared in the Kaikohe District Court on Tuesday.
He will be sentenced in December.
The 79-year-old former real estate agent did not seek bail or continued suppression, which means he can now be named.
His offending spanned four decades and took place around the country, involving six victims who were boys at the time. The youngest was 8-years-old.
Easton’s brief appearance before Judge John McDonald this morning was his first because he had previously been too unwell to attend court.
His lawyer, Doug Blaikie, said he was prepared to take part in restorative justice, if that was what the victims wanted.
Easton was a minister of the Two by Twos, also known as The Truth, an underground Christian sect, from 1966 until he was removed from the group’s leadership in 1976.
However, insiders have told RNZ that Easton remained part of the group, attending meetings in members’ homes, until last year.
He was also listed until recently as a real estate agent on the Harcourts Bay of Islands website.
Its director, Scott Cousins, said Easton was no longer with the company.
“Bill Easton advised us of the historic charges against him, which occurred prior to his association with our company. He immediately left our organisation. We were shocked and appalled by these charges and this remains the case,” he said.
Cousins said the company would not make any further comment while the matter was being handled by the courts.
Easton was arrested as part of an investigation into accusations of sex offending by members of the Two by Twos.
The group is being investigated by the FBI.
Police initially charged him with 17 indecent assault and sexual violation offences that occurred between 1964 and 1981, involving four victims.
A further 38 charges were laid this month relating to two more victims.
The Two by Twos have about 2500 members and 60 ministers in New Zealand.
It is not registered as a charity and had no official name or church buildings.
A hallmark of the group is that its itinerant ministers travel in pairs and stay in members’ homes.
Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust manager Liz Gregory said it had many markers of a cult, operating underground with no name or buildings, and with many subtle rules that resulted in coercive control.
Earlier this year, the sect’s overseer Wayne Dean confirmed police here were investigating at least one former minister for historical abuse, and the group was aware of 14 cases of allegations against members.
Sect insiders, whom RNZ has agreed not to name, said Easton’s history of sexually abusing young boys was widely known by members and leaders of the group, but he continued to attend meetings until last year.
Bill Easton (back row, second from left, according to the original caption) with other members of the Two by Twos in Masterton in 1968. Photo: SUPPLIED
One said the fact his offending continued for decades across the country, while remaining a member, was a huge concern.
“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 member said Easton had been raised in the sect and understood his family were wealthy contributors.
Records showed he started as a minister in 1966, aged 23, and continued until 1976, when it was understood he was removed from ministry in New Zealand but was still able to attend meetings in people’s homes.
The member said in the 1970s, Easton was also banned from attending the Pukekohe Convention for life, but the reason was kept secret.
“For him to be removed from the work was pretty big back then.”
The member said it must have been bad, given how the deferential the group was to families with wealth and influence.
Group leaders would “turn a blind eye on certain things depending on who you are and how much money you have”.
Easton had two late siblings, who were also ministers and had defended him against allegations.
“It’s probably why he got away with what he did for as long as he did and even long after he left the ministry.”
The earliest charges against Easton relate to offending in Whanganui in 1964.
The next charge related to another victim and occurred in Dannevirke in 1976, after he had been banned from ministry.
The charges showed he also preyed on young boys in Timaru in 1972, in Dannevirke from 1976-81, and Kerikeri from 1980-1990.
The insider hoped the court proceedings would start to bring closure for those victims.
“I think that might actually be very healing for them to hear that he admits what he’s done … that it starts to bring them some healing.”
Meanwhile, Dean has stepped down from his overseer role.
In a message shared with sect ministers that was sent to RNZ by numerous sources, he said: “The burden and weight of responsibility has become too heavy for me. I thought I could manage, but it has built up to such a degree that I feel I need a break for a while to see if I can recover. I do not know how long this might be.”
The message said two men, Tim Hamilton and Dalton McGuiness, would take on the role in Dean’s absence, and would “be working together for your good”.
Hamilton confirmed Easton was a minister in the sect for a decade from 1966 but said he could not provide further information.
“We are unable to make any comments while the case is before the courts.”
“I do wish to reiterate that our heartfelt message to all survivors/victims is 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.”
WINGS Comment
Worker lists show that Bill Easton was active in the following areas:
1967 Hauraki Plains
1968 Waikato
1969 Sth Taranaki
1970 Auckland
1971 Dunedin and Central Otago
1972 Auckland
1973 Southland
1974 Sth Canterbury
1975 Wellington
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I resent that the way I believe is being called a cult. It is the way Jesus sent out His disciples and for the most part, the members are trying to follow Jesus example. And If people who are wealthy are treated better, I have never been aware of this. Any member is free to leave this way, at anytime, therefore it is not a cult. I have known many ministers and members, and I appreciated their kindness and humility. I am not saying these things did not happen, but I was never privy to them. I’m very sorry for the victims of these crimes and am glad the perpentrators are being brought to justice at last.
https://www.christianpost.com/voices/10-signs-youre-in-a-cult-like-movement.html
It checks ALL the boxes of a cult. Looking at this list, some may say, “We don’t have a leader.” Well, it’s the workers and the last time I attended a convention, the workers were IDOLIZED. They have put themselves as the high priests in the place that Jesus fulfills and that is why the 2x2s are in this terrible situation of generations of covering up CSA and SA. The root cause is FALSE DOCTRINE. By not believing Jesus is God, the 2x2s have made this about works and not the gift of GRACE given to us through Jesus Christ. John 1 is a good place to start to see that Jesus is God. 1 aIn the beginning was bthe Word, and cthe Word was with God, and dthe Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 eAll things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 fIn him was life,1 and gthe life was the light of men. 5 hThe light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
1. They prey on vulnerable youth
Often, cults have mobile outreach strategies on college and university campuses so they can target scared, insecure youth who are searching for an identity and a community of friends for emotional stability.
The outreach strategy is mobile or transient because college officials are often alerted to their cultish tactics that do not comport with the traditional campus (religious) clubs. (They have to be on the move so they don’t get caught and shut down!).
2. Love bombing
Love bombing is a term used to describe the effort cults initially make with potential converts by creating a strong emotional connection with them. The initial contact includes constantly showing them a lot of attention and affection, bestowing upon them affirming words, and throwing around the words “community” and “love.”
Once a convert is controlled, they no longer need to affirm them. Thus, the love bombing ends and is replaced with mind manipulation, scare tactics, and various forms of abuse. The goal, of course, is to get potential converts to adopt this new group as their primary family identity — hence replacing their biological and any spiritual family or church with which they are affiliated.
3. Social isolation
After the new initiate converts into their religious community, they are loaded with numerous activities and religious meetings to ensure they will not have time for other activities or affiliations.
They are also assigned a mentor or spiritual leader who will discourage them from any outside involvement with a goal of total isolation from all other relationships outside their new community. This ensures long-term loyalty because they will only have other cult members in their social circle for a few years. (Hence, leaving it will mean getting cut off from all their relationships.)
4. Mind control and programming
Between all the long meetings, incessant activities, micro-managing of their social life, social exclusionary tactics, and constant indoctrination, the result is a form of mind control and social programming.
5. They claim their religious community (or church) is the only true church
This is the greatest initial red flag. When any church or new movement, especially those without a historic footprint from the first few centuries of Christianity, claims to be the only true church, it demonstrates delusion and deception with the founders of said religious group since Jesus has been building His true church for more than 2,000 years since His resurrection.
6. No regard for church history
Along with the previous point, religious cults often have a twisted view regarding church history that cannot be backed up by respectable, mainstream, historic Christian scholarship. This distorted view generally attacks mainstream historic classic Christianity and points to this new movement as the only true movement since the first-century church of the original apostles.
7. False doctrine
Invariably, most cults not only have aberrant mind control practices but also espouse some form of heretical doctrines regarding salvation, the deity of Christ, the person of the Holy Spirit, the existence of hell, and other primary biblical doctrines.
I.E., many cults, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, believe that Jesus is a created being and not God the Son. They believe the Holy Spirit is a force and not the third person of the triune God, that lost souls are annihilated in hell, and that salvation is by good works (i.e., the Watchtower organization encourages its members to witness and go door to door to be one of the chosen few that go to Heaven.)
8. The leader is idolized
Often, the leader of a religious cult, whether deceased or living, is almost worshiped and idolized as a great prophet or saint.
9. Numerous ex-members have shared traumatic stories of abuse
Common with most religious cults, there are numerous testimonies available on social media, YouTube, and printed pages from ex-members regarding mind control, social isolation, mental and spiritual abuse, and other manipulative practices resulting in traumatic experiences. When people escape such cults, they usually need several years of therapy, prayer, and, at times, even deliverance from demonic spirits.
10. Lack of financial transparency
Religious cults are wrapped in secrecy regarding their governance, membership records, leadership protocols, and financial expenditures.
Many cults rarely divulge how their donations are spent. Conversely, most legitimate churches have annual business meetings that show committed members their functional budget with an annual “profit and loss” statement.
Bonpete49. I do agree with you. I never considered it a cult. I professed the first time when I was 16, and it wasn’t long and I was ‘off the rails’ … as people would have coined it. And I got back on track and then went off the rails and into the bush a couple more times. And family and friends and workers stood by me and never forsook me. Even one in Ontario that stands accused of inappropriate behavior stood by me. But I have a high degree of faith, (because there were those that told me), that there were ‘friends’ and ‘workers’ that tinkled in the closet with their smokin’ buddies. Not sure what they were smokin’, but we were assured it was bad stuff. I have sat around those tables before, and smoked the ‘bad’ stuff with them. We were smokin’ some good stuff we all were convinced was the bad stuff. There was those in the church, that made great effort to make sure we saw this thing in our minds as a cult. They just had a different word for it. Singing Hotel California was taboo in the church for a reason.
So words are funny things. I love words. I twist them in my mind and do whatever I want with them. Playful things. Playful things that sometimes play with me.
And the word cult becomes what we make of it in our own mind. And much of the church it seems from reading people’s writing, made this way a cult in their own mind, and the word cult was the furthest thing from their thoughts. And furthermore, because most everyone seemed to create in their own mind this thought that a person could not leave without going to hell…all those people in their influence wedged the word cult secretly into the minds of others.
I phoned my brother a year ago or so. He is older than me, and has proven over life to be far wiser than I. And I say that with all seriousness. And he was talented beyond my talent. That talent belonged not to me though. And once again, with all seriousness. I was loaded for bear that day on the phone. The barrels blazing were not for him, but he took the lead for quite a spell on the phone that day. And he listened, and he listened, and he listened some more. And finally my magazine was empty. And then he quietly said to me on the phone, “You keep saying they“. “They this and they that. They believe this and they believe that. They say this and they say that”. Then he said to me, “Who is this they that you speak of?” I got a picture that day, that not everyone in the church was on the same page as it appeared.
So in my writing, one might say that I am continuing to mess in my own nest. I continue to fire off the word they. But just possibly, they had an influence, all the they’s, had an influence in who I am. And how I formulated the words in my own mind, and made them real or not in my own life. And quite possibly, those they’s, the ones that were trampled on by some in the church, those they’s have more meaning to me now. And the one’s that went to the older workers over the years to get them to do something about a certain one in the church gone rogue in his britches, and the older brother workers forsook the conversation for fear of the people, and fear of tarnishing their own sounding brass.
In my little experience of managing men and women over the years, I have come to realize, the longer the beltline of the individual’s ego, the more crow it takes to fill them. And I would think, I would just think, that some people after 18 months must be getting about stuffed. I would think. Mark is not often right though, but this time he could be wrong.
And we (golly – there is another word I throw out….we…but it just means me and somebody else, past or present) we so adore this doctrine in the church of the younger will serve the elder. Got that? It says right there in genesis, no? That the younger will show obeisance to the elder? Flip! Do I have that flipped? Me bad for mixing my words. And mixing the words of the mother in Israel that prophesied about 4000 years ago, if I have the story right.
And we so love to preach and to teach about people having the spirit of a little child. This revelation in the church though has revealed to me, some of the preaching only meant they.
BonPete – take the words of encouragement for you, and leave the remainder of them for they. So that they could roll the words over in their mind and make of them what they will. Religious man took the Word, and did whatsoever they pleased with it. That is a pointed they. Last night, two brothers stood beside a long bed, one each side of an old man with long white hair. It was time to go, but I couldn’t tell where. The old man had been kneeling in prayer and had fallen asleep on his knees. They took him by the arms and woke him up. He stood to his feet and his garment would have beckoned a few stares in meeting. Another interesting thing; I saw no tie around his neck.
Mark S, you say “most everyone seemed to create in their own mind this thought that you could not leave without going to hell.” What drivel. For the sake of converting children, damnation for the non-professing has been preached regularly and implied continually. This teaching is evil, and the fruit of it is obvious. It is not the creation of innocent minds.
@Really, now…I was just giving the benefit of the doubt to all the people that I was not lurking in all their heads. I don’t disagree with you that this was a strategy of the head of the organization and the teaching is evil and filtered down to the bottom, but whether everyone bought into that strategy seems to be up for debate for me.
Another aspect of this Really now for me is that the law will eventually likely take care of the cultish aspect of this religion because of what it had become and the victims left behind in it’s wake because of those cultish aspects. But I can only look around and point my finger in so many directions before the thought comes to me, that as an adult, something or someone took control of my mind, and then consequently my heart and my soul. I am just not sure that is going to flush one day for myself – in my understanding now. This for myself is the great privilege before me to understand this. That is on me as an adult. And as an adult, now a grandfather, all I can do is to discuss ideas with my children, that they can discuss ideas with their children. But interestingly enough, there are a few things in this matter where my adult children may be a few steps ahead of me. I am saying a few things. I don’t want to get their ego pumped too much.
So I am trying the best I can to learn to keep from pointing my finger at an individual, or group of individuals. I haven’t arrived yet. I am beginning in some measure to see, in agreement in a measure to what you say, that no one in the group, but not even the head workers, understood about something taking control of our/their minds.
bonpete49: This has been our very “story”! We could have written your very words for decades!
BUT, ‘enter our desperate need to read God’s Word as Written’! This was the result of a challenge to us, from someone who quoted scripture to us as written. We gleefully, entered into the challenge “because we were Right and Knew what God’s perfect plan was”! We eagerly began to read, writing down the important verses. Soon, it became evident that Jesus was only sent to the Nation of Israel. He came as the King of the Jews – Matthew 2:-:6, that shall rule my “”people Israel””! This is the very Word of the very Government of Israel in “God’s House of prayer” the “temple in Jerusalem”! They well knew prophecy from the Old Testament: and could answer the occupying nation of Rome’s questions Math. 2:3-:4. God’s prophets had well taught and recorded God’s promises of Israel’s coming ‘messiah’!
Fast forward to Math. 10:5, :6, :7 which the workers quote as their example THAT makes them the only true WAY. Again: only to Nation of Israel! Then the “2×2” was completely destroyed by Luke 10:1 sent them two and two before his face: doesn’t that equal 2 and 2 =4??? Yes, even 2×2 = 4. Then each reference to this, Jesus gave them power and authority to heal, cast out devils, raise the dead, and tread on serpents and scorpions etc., etc.. In Math 15:24 Jesus in his very own Words explains exactly to whom he was sent! Exactly to whom Jesus had sent His very own chosen 12 apostles. John 20:21 as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. ((This is explained in 2 Corinthians 5:15-:16THAT we have KNOWN Christ after the flesh – in Christ as Jesus born a man-in the flesh Jesus walked the dusty roads of Israel while he was alive on this earth:: THAT cannot be ignored! YES, then continue to read :second half of the verse :16 “”YET, NOW – HENCEFORTH we Know Him NO MORE (“after the flesh”)– :15 we only know him that “died for all”,
:15 that they which live SHOULD NOT LIVE”unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them and “rose” again. AND we think when that happened Jesus was NO LONGER in Human flesh. Jesus became Our Messiah; rose from THAT grave triumph walked for 40 days with is 11 chosen apostles; teaching them(Luke 24:44-:45) THAT They might understand the Old Testament and all God’s covenants and promises to that Nation of Israel so that Israel could become a Nation of “priests” Exodus 19:5 if ye will obey my voice indeed, and KEEP my ‘covenant’ — :6 then ye shall be unto me a nation of “priests”, and an holy nation….. yes, every one!
AND as we finished those final words in Luke 24: we find Jesus ascending :51 , while he blessed them, he parted from them, and carried UP into heaven!
What did the 11 apostle THEN DO??? Yes, you must read this in your very own Bible with the frayed edges and well read and studied Word of God. Luke 24:52, YEP, they were in the Mt Olivet; they returned to Jerusalem with great Joy, :53 And were “continually ” in the “”temple””, praising and BLESSing God.
YES, these are the very “apostles “of YES, “the one only true WAY”!
Yes, one could reason that was an exception! After all Jesus just ascended from them!
BUT read those very same “examples” ‘Doctrine’ for all the more than 3000 believers in the 12’s first preaching: Acts 2:41. All that believed of the the (2:5 ‘of the multitude of devout Jews from every Nation under heaven) :42 continued steadfastly in the apostles “”doctrine”…… How many times have you been taught the “apostles’ doctrine? I bet you know it by heart, bonpete49; but we did NOT. In fact we had never heard any sermon, or had Bible study with them around our table that very clearly explained the “apostles’ Doctrine” to us in 70 years.
It is only as a result of our very own desperate study, that these verses Knocked-us like a ball-bat! Yes, :44 -:45 tells us very plainly THAT THOSE who gladly received Peter’s ‘word’ had all things common, :45 sold their possessions….. parted them to all men……
AND, AND :46… continuing “DAILY” with one accord “”in the temple” yes, the 12 apostles Doctrine.
Then read right into Acts 3:1, yes, another ‘ball bat’: Peter and John went up “together” into the “”temple”” at the hour of prayer””! YEP, You guessed it! They were following the very Law God gave to Moses. That continues through Acts 12:. Yes, for God’s very Chosen Nation of Israel who were the very seed of Abraham.
We now challenge you to actually read God’s Word as written! Is it easy? NO, but your very ‘eternity’ depends on God’s Word as written. We pray for you as you desperately study! and God open your heart as God did for Lydia; when Paul came to that Gentile city of Philipi, the chief city of Macedonia. Acts 16:10 – :15 and a colony: :13 on the “sabbath” Paul and Timothy went down to the river and spake to the women who resorted there: WHAT did they speak?? :14. she attended to the things spoken of Paul.
What were things Paul spoken of Paul? Examples are: Ephesians 1:12 – :13, :16 – 23, 2:1-:9 notice :4-:8. BUT God…. :8 for by grace are ye saved; through faith, and that NOT of yourselves: “it is the GIFT of God:!! :9 Not of works, lest any man should BOAST. AND to more deeply understand read Romans 3:21 __BUT NOW(Yes, a big change and THAT we never ever heard before!) You must read THAT Gospel THAT the ‘risen Christ Jesus in Heaven’ gave to Paul to preach. Acts 9:1-:6, :15 – :17. Paul explains exactly what his Gospel is in I Corinthians 15:1 – 4.
Please take your time and realize each word has great meaning to the complete thought. You will very much enjoy the fulness of God’s will without the guilt of not being good enough, or doing enough. It is the grace of God through the faith of Jesus THAT his crucifixion and blood would pay the sin debt of all men and upon all them that believe! Romans 3:22. Jesus was good enough – a perfect sacrifice for our sin debt. What a “gospel” we have never been taught or gloried in!
It grieves my heart to hear how many victims there were & the ages they first started being exploited, over this man’s decade in the “Work” and very likely MANY of those at the top – knew & allowed him to remain in a ministry where child were being victimized, trafficked, often in their own homes. While we as parents thought this ministry were Sheppards. Nope, these were the hirelings, the real wolves. But exclusively so!
this worker was also in Hawke’s Bay. Possibly his last year in the work.