A court has been told an alleged religious cult leader groomed a girl for more than a decade and told her it was her “mission from God” to become his wife and bear 45 of his children.
William Kamm, who dubbed himself “Little Pebble”, and his co-accused Sandra Susan Mathison, faced the first day of their judge-alone trial at Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court on Tuesday.
They have pleaded not guilty to grooming a child under 14 for unlawful sexual activity and grooming a child for unlawful sexual activity.
William Kamm arrives at the Downing Centre in Sydney. (ABC News: Julia Andre)
Mr Kamm, 76, has also pleaded not guilty to additional charges of inciting a person to do a sexual act with him in circumstances of aggravation, and two counts of breaching an extended supervision order.
‘Mission from God’
The court heard allegations that Mr Kamm was the leader of a religious cult known as the Order of Saint Charbel.
The group has 21 properties and 10 caravans on Koloona Drive at Bangalee, near Nowra, on the NSW South Coast.
Crown prosecutor Andrew Norrie told the court Ms Mathison first facilitated phone calls between Mr Kamm and the complainant in 2011.
Mr Kamm was in jail at the time for unrelated matters.
The court was told the girl, aged six at the time, was not allowed to speak during the numerous calls as they were recorded by the prison.
It is alleged Mr Kamm proclaimed his mission was to repopulate the “new world” by having 12 wives, who he referred to as queens, and 24 princesses.
All would be expected to bear his children.
Mr Kamm is an alleged cult leader in NSW. (ABC Illawarra: Ainslie Drewitt Smith)
Mr Kamm allegedly told the girl that she had a “beautiful mission from God” and that she was to be his “main queen” and bear 45 of his children.
“I can’t wait to meet you, I love you my darling,” he allegedly said in one of the calls.
The court heard the girl felt uncomfortable when Mr Kamm told her on more than one occasion that she “should put her running shoes on so he could chase her around” and that he would “lock her in a closet to keep her for himself”.
In 2014, Mr Kamm allegedly told the girl it would be nice to go on a cruise together to carry out “God’s mission” as there were no laws at sea preventing them from having intercourse.
He was released from jail in late 2014, allegedly continuing to speak with the complainant in frequent phone and Skype calls.
The court heard the complainant moved to the Bangalee property in 2019, while Mr Kamm was still in Sydney due to court orders preventing him from going back there.
She left the property after expressing discomfort during a phone call, saying she did not want to kiss Mr Kamm.
The court heard she vomited from anxiety about the idea of having sexual intercourse with him.
William “Little Pebble” Kamm (blurred, right) is on bail. (Supplied: NSW Police)
The complainant later expressed to Ms Mathison that she was no longer “going to do God’s will” and reported the matter to police in 2023.
Mr Norrie said the Crown case relied on recorded jail calls as well as letters and gifts Mr Kamm allegedly sent the complainant.
The complainant briefly gave evidence on Tuesday afternoon, detailing the alleged cult and her understanding of the “mission” she was given as a young child.
“If we wanted to go to the new era after the mourning or the end of the world, then we needed to do our mission,” she told the court.
The trial before Judge Nicole Noman continues.
