A court has been told an alleged cult leader told a young girl they would go on a cruise to circumvent consent laws and carry out “God’s mission” of her becoming his queen and repopulating a post-apocalyptic world.
William Kamm, known as “Little Pebble”, and his co-accused Sandra Susan Mathison, are fighting allegations in a judge-alone trial at Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court that they groomed the girl for more than a decade.
Mr Kamm is the self-proclaimed leader of the Order of Saint Charbel, based in Bangalee near Nowra, on the New South Wales South Coast.
The complainant, now in her 20s, gave evidence from the witness stand today, alleging 76-year-old Mr Kamm’s grooming began when she was six and while he was in custody for separate matters.
Ms Mathison, 60, is accused of facilitating phone calls between Mr Kamm and the girl while he was in and out of custody.
The complainant told the court Mr Kamm believed he was a prophet who sent messages from Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary to his followers, allegedly telling her it was her mission to become his “main queen”.
William “Little Pebble” Kamm at court for his criminal trial in Sydney. (ABC News: Julia Andre)
“I was told that it meant I was one of William’s wives, and the purpose of being a queen was to help repopulate the new era,” the woman said.
The witness said she was told Mr Kamm was in jail because other queens had regretted “falling away from their missions”, so they reported him to the police.
‘God’s will’
The complainant said she agreed to the mission as it was told to her in a positive way.
“I was just very excited to do God’s will,” she said.
“He said to stay strong, he can’t wait to start the mission, he can’t wait to meet me, and that he loved me.”
At first, the girl was not allowed to speak to the cult leader directly by phone as his jail calls were recorded, but was instead referred to using code words.
“Hi, my darling, I can’t wait to see you to start this beautiful mission together,” Mr Kamm allegedly said.
The court heard that when the complainant was seven, she agreed to be “spiritually married” to Mr Kamm and wore a silver ring symbolising their partnership.
When the complainant was nine, Mr Kamm allegedly suggested they go on a cruise together after he got out of jail to carry out “God’s will” because there was “no age of consent on the seas”.
Ms Mathison allegedly said the girl could not be with other boys, had to dress modestly and had to keep her “marriage” with Mr Kamm a secret because the devil would try to stop it.
The court was told Mr Kamm stayed in frequent contact with the complainant until she turned 18, calling her at least twice a week.
William Kamm is the self-proclaimed leader of a cult on the NSW South Coast. (ABC Illawarra: Ainslie Drewitt Smith)
The complainant choked back tears when she recalled feeling “dirty” after Mr Kamm allegedly told her in a hoarse voice that he would trap her in closets so he could “have you to myself” when she was 12.
“I felt really dirty, I only just found out what sex was … I just didn’t like it at all,”
she said.
Plans for her to meet Mr Kamm in person for the first time were put on hold as Australia went into lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Mr Kamm and Ms Mathison were arrested in September 2024 after the complainant made a police report.
The judge-alone trial before Judge Nicole Noman continues.
