Source: Truth Wins Out
Truth Wins Out is reporting that Chris Austin, a longtime ex-gay counselor from Irving, Texas, was convicted today of sexually assaulting a client. Austin, a previous speaker for both Evergreen International and the National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH), has been accused of sexual assault on a client before. In 2001, Mark Hufford made similar accusations:
Hufford accused Austin of engaging in improper sexual behavior that included “oral copulation and fondling” during counseling sessions that spanned more than a year. The psychologist, who also teaches in the church’s Sunday School, had convinced Hufford to participate in “touch therapy.” The therapy gradually progressed to nude sessions and physical intimacy, he said.
Ex-Gay Watch reported in 2003 when Hufford and Austin dropped cross civil suits to allow Hufford to get on with his life. Today’s conviction would seem to vindicate Hufford and his struggle of a few years ago.
TWO reports that Austin was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but received seven years probation, had to register as a sex offender and was ordered to pay a $2,500 fine.
When XGW called today to ask Austin for a comment on his conviction, he picked up halfway through the outgoing message on his answering machine with “Dr. Austin, Counseling Center.” We verified that it was indeed Chris Austin, but he declined to discuss the matter and hung up.
Anyone who has ever met Dr. Chris Austin knows these allegations are blatantly false. I’ve been seeing Dr. Austin for one on one and group sessions for five years. I know most of his clients and I’ve never seen or heard ANYTHING which would substantiate such absurd accusations.
I hope he appeals and is soon vindicated. Regardless of how you feel about exgay therapy, anyone with an ounce of human decency should be appalled that false accusations like this have been used to try to ruin a good person’s life.
With all due respect Jeremy – he was CONVICTED. I have personally spoken with three of his victims. They were in tears or badly hurt. The jury agreed with their experiences.
Finally, just because he did not take advantage of you does not mean that he did not behave inappropriately. Molesters do not molest EVERYBODY. They pick and choose vulnerable people. Perhaps you were lucky.
I am sorry that someone you respect has let you down. It is never easy to accept and I am truly sorry that this news comes as shocking.
It was reported originally that the District Attorney was also pursuing child pornography charges against Austin. That isn’t mentioned in this conviction. I wonder what happened to those charges and what sort of evidence they had when they originally filed charges against him.
Also, can a convicted sex offender continue to practice counseling? I would think probation limitations would make that difficult.
@ John
As reported at the bottom of this post, Hufford reported to us that he thought the child porn charges were dropped due to a technicality of some sort. The story was not pursued by XGW at the time.
@ Jeremy
Considering Austin’s history with these types of accusations, one would have to believe in quite a conspiracy to continue denying what seems obvious. All you can really attest to is your own experience with him Jeremy, and even if we take that at face value it still says nothing more than that – as Wayne said, I’m sure he did not have sex with all his clients.
Those with whom I have talked who have gone from trusting Austin to finally becoming convinced of what he was doing, have made it clear that this man is quite convincing, with almost a gift for deception. I’m not really surprised by your comments.
Jeremy,
These crimes have been corraborated by folks with whom you personally have contact and certainly by plenty of people who’ve met and councelled with Chris personally. It’s time for this sort of absolute craziness and victimization to STOP. I know it’s tempting to believe only the things that are comforting, but far too much harm has occurred for any of us to continue to defend something so horrific.
Give me a break! These were adult men! Even if they were telling the truth (which is a huge stretch to even conceive) – they could have walked out of his office any time they felt like it. He didn’t hold a gun to their head.
I don’t believe Dr. Austin has any homosexual inclinations. I have a very good “Gaydar” and he registers a “0” on that scale.
Before I started going to counseling with Dr. Austin I was hooking up with guys online 2-3X a day. I was VERY lucky not to catch HIV – considering my behavior. I am not proud of it, but I am grateful that it is now in the past (Thanks to Chris Austin). I still wouldn’t consider myself fully str8 or “exgay”, but I have at least stopped having any desires for bizarre and dangerous behavior.
As far as conspiracy theories go, I don’t think the anti-ex-gay movement has made any secret of their blatant attempts to stop counselors like Chris. I had a friend who is a gay lawyer and has made it his mission to find a way to shutdown ex-gay counselors through false charges and frivolous lawsuits. He honestly believes that the end justifies the means.
It’s not hard for me to see the obvious in this case. These were adult men who clearly set this whole thing up. Even if it were true (a huge hypothetical IF); it would still be a blatant setup because that would mean they would have planned to hire him as a counselor; then sleep with him; and then press charges.
Pam,
I didn’t mean to be disrespectful to you in my reply. I was replying to the earlier posts.
I have stayed in contact with most of Chris’s clients and I’ve been to his office several times a month over the past 5-6 years. I have never seen or heard anything (myself or from anyone else) that would support anything like this. I was there this past weekend.
Chris has helped lots of people and the real victims in this whole situation are the people who could be helped in the future, but won’t be thanks to these lies.
Like I mentioned; he literally saved my life. I know dozens of people who would the same. It is a shame that anytime an accusation of this nature is made against anyone it is immediately accepted as truth by almost everyone – (close friends, juries, etc.) – even when there is no evidence.
Wow, truly incredible Jeremy. I’m sorry because I suspect it will become obvious even to you finally what has been going on – there are too many honest people who know and of course he has also been convicted. Try to understand, you just don’t want to believe it.
I’m glad you are acting more responsibly – you clearly were living an unhealthy, dangerous life. If Austin actually helped you realize that, you can certainly continue on without him. If not, then your placing your faith in the wrong place. Gay or straight, that sounds like a serious sexual addiction.
But at the very least, please do not mock those who have been through serious pain because of Austin. It’s naive and hearless to flippantly exclaim that “they were adults, the could have left” etc. A therapeutic relationship is one of deep trust, and if abused it can be one of control. That combination can be devastating.
Or are you saying that all sexual assaults by doctors and counselors are just a scam?
Jeremy, on Besen’s site and on this site, you are the only one to come forward to Austin’s defense. I wonder why this is. Before making blanket statements like “the allegations are clearly false” I would interview the men who say they were abused by Austin.
Using your own personal “gaydar” as a defense of Austin’s “heterosexuality” is such a weak argument I can’t believe you even tried that one.
This is almost as disgusting as the false allegations that ruined Jeffrey Dahmer’s life. After all, Dahmer never ate me.
“I have a very good “Gaydar” and he registers a “0″ on that scale.”
You really need to learn that identifying someone by stereotypical clues means nothing. In Europe, where men aren’t afraid of demonstrating sensitivity, many of the straight men would seem downright effeminate in the U.S. Conversely, I’ve known gay men who wouldn’t register on your “Gaydar” and they’re most definitely homosexual.
You need to study this issue privately, as currently your comments exhibit an amazing degree of naiveness.
Jeremy,
I opened this comment box to try and reply and I’m having great difficulty. The whole thing makes my stomach churn.
Let me just say this. There are lots of other people who know and have had a relationship with Dr. Austin over the past 8 or 9 years…..and there are MANY of those folks who were not a part of this case. For some funny reason, ex-gays who are still married don’t much like to come forward about the sexual liasons they’ve been having with their therapist. Hmmmm.
Jeremy, I can say the same as you. Chris helped me a great deal in the 8 years I knew him. I honestly don’t think I’d have made it in my marriage to Tdub without him. And yes, all of that does make it much more difficult to believe…or, actually, to accept. I wish you well in your struggles and you should count yourself blessed that your struggles don’t include having had a therapist who abused his professional relationship with you. Maybe he figured you were too great a risk. Who knows.
Jeremy
You said that you had a friend who was a gay attorney who went after ex-gay counselors with what the attorney (and presumably you) knew were false charges. If that were the case, your gay attorney former friend was suborning perjury. He could lose his ability to practice law (not to mention jail time). If you have any proof of these accusations (which I rather doubt), you should come forward and report tham to the involved courts and judges so that they can investigate and eventually charge this unethical attorney. If you are not willing to report these crimes, I would suggest that you not make baseless accusations against a vague gay attorney. The prosecutors and witnesses in thsi case were willing to go into court, swear to tell the truth and leave themselves vulnerable to perjury charges if they lied on the stand. That’s a whole lot braver and more honorable than your vague accusations about an un-named gay attorney on a weblog trying to defend a convicted sex offender.
John,
I had a friend (gay lawyer) that sued Psychologists whose patients committed suicide. He flew all over the country talking to families of suicide victims and convincing them to sue and he made a fortune at it. He said his goal was to someday go after ex-gay therapist. I don’t know whether he ever did and I wasn’t claiming that he ever fabricated anything. I was just mentioning that as an example of depths that some people will go to in order to target exgay therapists.
I do find it disturbing that with accusations like this; people always immediately believe everything without questions the facts or circumstances. False accusations are made against good people all the time. The defendents are cleared eventually, but their reputations are already destroyed and they are abandoned immediately by their family and friends. I had a scoutmaster when I was a kid who was falsely accused during a custody battle. He was later fully vindicated. It shocked me that people who had known him for years immediately assumed the accusations must be true and ostracized him.
Jeremy, you are obviously an adult so good luck. You clearly really want to believe the past 6 years of accusations and yesterday’s conviction are some sort of terribly miscarriage of justice. That’s your right, however there appears to be little you can add to the discussion but the results of your “gaydar.” Honestly, with your ability for denial, you might have a shot at being ex-gay yet.
But again, Jeremy, this is more than an accusation. This is a conviction. Twelve jurors, the choosing of which Dr. Austin’s defense team would’ve had some input on, considered the evidence and testimony and found him guilty.
You seem to have this idea that Dr. Austin’s guilt in these matters somehow invalidates the progress you’ve made under his care. That couldn’t be further from the truth. These two facts (his guilt of sexual assault and that he helped you) are not mutually exclusive. Both can be equally true.
On a personal note, however, I’d suggest that you consider why you need him to be innocent so badly. If you believe that his guilt somehow invalidates your own progress in your own mind, then I’d like to gently suggest that you may have developed an unhealthy level of hero worship towards your therapist. And whether or not Dr. Austin really is guilty of the felonies he was convicted of, that’s bound to cause problems for you at some point or another.
There comes a point where we all need to accept the humanity of our heroes and their ability to fail.
Thanks David,
I guess my experience of being in his office twice a week for 5 and a half years wouldn’t make me qualified to form an opinion. I guess the people on here who have never met him, but have listened to the same three people repeat the same accusation in various different ways are more qualified. I guess if you tell a lie often enough people will believe it’s true.
It’s ironic to me that this board claims to be for “tolerance.” Since I first posted on here I’ve been bombarded with hate mail. It doesn’t bother me, but I find it ironic. At my school there are plenty of hard core right wing religious fundamentalists who are more tolerant than anyone on here.
I suggest everyone read the court reports documented at the trial. After you have read it, you will discover unbelievable facts on Chris Austin and his innocent victims. There are four witnesses, including the main victim, who came forward to testify on some very *bad* things that Chris Austin did to them eight years ago. Not all of the victims are gay. Not all of them had sex with Chris Austin. But there is a common theme in their stories. All of them came to Chris for help to resolve their personal issues. They were misled, deceived, and used by Chris to meet his own perverted sexual needs. Remember therapy is about meeting the clients needs–a simple ethical code of “do no harm to patients”. And certainly not the other way around. If you are Chris Austin current client or a practicing therapist, I strongly urge you to call the Dalllas DA office for Julie Wilbanks(ADA) and Shirly Dyson(investigator) talk to them about the case while the facts are still fresh in their memories. This is a complicated case that encompasses many powerful feelings of trust, betrayal, deceit, shame, guilt, faith, adultery, and many more. The entire trial lasted for 7 days with testimonies from key witnesses, expert witnesses, friends, pastor, and parents. I urge you to read and understand the facts presented in the trial. And based on the evidence presented in the courtroom, it was obvious that Chris Austin should be punished for what he did to his clients. The jury found him guilty and gave him 7 years of probation. In other words, he will loose his psychology license, report to a patrol officer once a week, and register as a sex offender. In my personal opinion, the sentence is on the lighter side because there is no jail time. Nevertheless, his career as a therapist is gone for the next 7 years.
Darrell,
Are those documents available online? Would you happen to have a link you could share?
Jeremy,
No one has to be qualified to give an opinion, and you are certainly entitled to yours. But, you would need to present something more credible than “gaydar” and the fact that he never took advantage of you personally to convince some of us (particularly those like me, who know much more of the ins and outs of the situation), that these accusations are false. In fact, a court of law found them to be true. And yes, it could be that you’ve been lied to so often that you believe it to be true. Think about it.
Tolerance and concern for the safety of others are two different issues and you are lumping them together as if they are one. This board is for tolerance. However, this board might not exist at all if things like these incidents with Chris hadn’t happened. Think about that as well.
Honestly, Jeremy. You know as well as I do how cunning and deceitful folks can be when they are hiding something. Think about your own attempts to hide your own addictions. I have cared for Chris and his family, but I must draw the line at others being hurt this way because he is so very talented at doing the very things he’s supposed to be helping them overcome.
I do say all this in love.
pam
@ Jarred
If they become available online, please let us know. Until then, we have requested copies from the court and will report what we can after reviewing them.
@ Jeremy
I don’t believe anyone has ever mentioned receiving “hate mail” for an opinion expressed here. You also posted on Wayne Besen’s site, are you certain this is not the source? If you want to forward them to us, we will certainly express our concern to the authors if they are regulars here.
But to better address your comment, we are most definitely intolerant of sexual assault. The rest of what you are saying is just the same thing over and over, you don’t believe the accusations or the conviction – we get it. But unless you have something substantial to add that will advance the discussion, please stop repeating yourself.
I have a good friend who saw Dr. Austin for several years. He said that his interaction with Dr. Austin was purely professional.
However, simply because my friend (and Jeremy) had good experiences with Dr. Austin doesn’t mean the conviction against him isn’t warranted. My friend (who asked to remain nameless) is pretty disturbed by this whole mess. He doesn’t want to believe the negative about a man he has held in high regard, but he’s not so ignorant as to turn a blind eye to the fact that a jury of Dr. Austin’s peers found him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt…after hearing ALL of the evidence presented; both pro and con.
I noticed that Dr. Austin (and Renew) were still listed as a resource for Abileen Christian University (www.abu.edu) under Counseling Services. I wonder if they would still list him given his conviction. I also called Dr. Austin’s office and asked whether, given the conviction, he would continue counselling. I was hung up on.
It’s kind of a sad deal actually! I really feel for people like Jeremy and my friend. But simply having a good experience shouldn’t compel one to wear blinders.
j.
Jeremy,
Since your personal experiences have created such high regard for Chris Austin’s character and certainty of his innocence, why didn’t you testify in his defence at the trial?
Richard,
I offered to last week, but they weren’t looking for character witnesses.
In response to everyone else; I will stop repeating myself. If anyone has any personal experiences to share please feel free to email me. I’m all ears.
I’m not naive about sexual abuse. I was molested as young child and later met with internet predators when I was 14 and 15 y/o. I know what it’s like, but I don’t see it here.
As a counselor, Chris has always pushed me out of comfort zone to make me stronger at standing up for myself and to speak out even when faced with unpopularity. His other clients that I know would say the same. From my limited knowledge, that doesn’t seem like the behavior of someone trying to keep secrets or wanting to control or manipulate others. (just my view).
Pam, I know we haven’t met in person, but I’ve read your blogs over the years and have heard a lot about you from Emerson. I have a lot of respect for you. I’m sorry for being so rude in my responses earlier. I wrote most of that at 2:30am when I was exhausted and a bit emotional. I’d love to get to know you more as a friend. You seem like an awesome person.
God Bless,
Jeremy
Jeremy, I’m not exactly out of my league on this. I have worked in law enforcement and sometimes your attitude and lack of critical thinking DOES disqualify you from being able to see this situation for what it is. You remind me of the OJ Simpson jurors. No matter what history of violence that man had with his ex wife, or all the evidence compiled against him, the jurors wouldn’t believe that such an American hero would be more guilty than the police.
Just because it wasn’t your experience Jeremy, i WAS several other people’s and it was brought before the law to be adjudicated with the full ability of the law. You might have an emotional dependency of your own to him. Two times a week for five years?! The same therapist? Wow.
So maybe your opinion is that of a blind follower and Richard R. makes a point. You could have been a character witness, so why WEREN’T you part of the proceedings?
I have a theory. That maybe you haven’t a clue regarding the man’s character simply because your experience IS profoundly different.
And yours was the only opinion and his defense lawyers couldn’t get a consensus.
Anyway, you can stick to your opinion. And the thing about opinions…they eventually can’t trump facts and evidence.
You likely stood as alone in what you thought of Austin, as much as you’re standing alone now. And that simply shows that you can be stubborn, and being right doesn’t matter.
Jeremy,
I am glad that Dr. Austin was able to assist you in overcoming your sexual addictions. I understand how that could be very debilitating in your life.
In fact, the time involved in finding two to three guys per day and then having a sexual liason would hardly allow you the time to function normally – eat, sleep, work, etc. It’s wonderful that you’ve been able to break that unhealthy pattern.
However, I’m disturbed by a couple things you have said. First you accused a “friend who is a gay lawyer” of making it his mission to “shutdown ex-gay counselors through false charges and frivolous lawsuits.”
This surprised me because I am entirely unaware of any ex-gay counselors shut down by lawsuits filed by their clients. Perhaps there is some civil suit out there somewhere, but I’ve not yet heard of it.
And when questioned, it turned out that this wasn’t the case at all. It was an attorney who sued psychologists whose patients committed suicide – who wanted to include ex-gay counselors in his target group. That’s not quite the same thing, is it? Even so, suing an ex-gay counselor whose patient committed suicide is hardly unethical or some devious attempt to shut down ex-gay counseling entirely.
But even more concerning is your belief that Dr. Austin’s conviction was a conspiracy – and a blatant one – planned by people who selected him to seduce (though you claim he isn’t same-sex attracted) and file charges.
This stretches the limits of credibility. I really am at loss on how to respond. I guess it’s like arguing the innocence of OJ Simpson, at some point rationality flys out the door and any conspiracy becomes believable no matter how far-fetched.
I hope you are able to find someone to replace Dr. Austin (either ex-gay or just a regular therapist) to help keep you from reverting to obsessive sexual behaviors. And I am sad that you have had a hero tarnished.
But I also encourage you to try and recognize that sometimes life isn’t how we want it to be. Nor are people. And a healthy response is to see them as they are.
Jonathan,
You are right. After listening to the evidence presented in the courtroom with an open mind, I was convinced that the therapist definitely had crossed the ethical boundaries of his clients. Each victim was brave enough to come forward to present his own unique experience in front of many people in the courtroom. Then each of them was literally “crucified” and shredded into pieces at the witness stand by the defense attorney. I was petrified to realize that the main victim, who pressed charges, was only 17 when Chris manipulated him and used him to meet his sexual needs. I would like to believe that Chris Austin is innocent. But the evidence presented me a different conclusion–guilty.
Regan,
Looks like we were thinking the same thing about Simpson. 🙂
I’m not naive about sexual abuse. I was molested as young child and later met with internet predators when I was 14 and 15 y/o. I know what it’s like, but I don’t see it here.
Then you might be aware that accusing a molestation victim of lying about it often causes them to experience the trauma all over again. You have accused the victims of lying and the courts of incompetence while ranting about “blantantly false” accusations and claiming there was “no evidence” for a court conviction. Was there some part of your ex-gay counseling process that involved the surgical removal of your conscience?
Jeremy,
Please be mindful and careful. And call or email me anytime. Believe it or not, I don’t see anyone who’s commented to you here who doesn’t really have your best interest at the very heart of their concerns.
Hey, maybe the Michael Jackson case comes a lot closer to this. His behavior is TEXTBOOK abuser and no one thought about the pattern of families that Jackson was most attracted to and ingratiated himself into.
At any rate, here you have a beloved entertainer, who influenced a lot of young people.
The TWO boys (one of whom I know personally who defended him), didn’t get assaulted by MJ. Doesn’t mean the accusers weren’t valid.
The accusers all shared a pattern too. And it was disturbing for those of us who knowo what ot look for, to see MJ get away with it once again.
At any rate Jeremy, that’s the sort of pattern you’re displaying and it’s put some of us on serious notice about your dependency, hero worship and perhaps disdain for the victims and THEIR credibility.
Jeremy,
Just a personal question. On your mySpace page you say you graduated from Nolan High School in ’96 but yet you declare that you are 24 years old. Did you graduate when you were 13 or 14?
I’m also a former client of Chris’s and am pretty torn up by this verdict. I went to Dr. Austin for about a year and stopped going not because of any problems I experienced with him, but because I live in a different city and commuting back and forth for counseling appointments was just impractical. Like Jeremy, he helped me tremendously during a very rough time in my life. He definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone like any good therapist should, but I never felt that anything inappropriate happened during our sessions. Obviously, I don’t know what others may have experienced. I only know my own.
I sincerely appreciate the manner in which several of you responded to Jeremy (esp. Wayne, Timothy, Pam). True or not, this verdict is devastating to people who know and love Chris. That doesn’t mean we worship him. As you post here, I respectfully ask that you please consider that some of us might be quietly visiting this site trying to somehow process and make sense out of all this.
Those who might be willing to comment and know from experience: Did Dr. Austin use “touch therapy” or holding of clients as a part of the sessions? Those who felt it was helpful may be sensitive to the question but it is of real interest to me what type of techniques were common.
Yes, he encouraged touch / holding therapy. I never found it to be sexual in any way. Most of the time it was in the mixed group where most of the guys were not struggling with homosexuality (or “exgay”). I carried it over to my normal relationships with healthy heterosexual friends. It was a huge eye opener for me to learn that normal (non-gay or non-ex-gay/ whatever) guys were open to and craving healthy affection as well.
Jeremy,
You need to be careful about your choice of words “normal” and “healthy”. I am a gay man who has always had great relationships with non-gay men and gay men as well. Almost all of my relationships, romantic and otherwise, have been very healthy. You can be straight and be anything but normal. Don’t equate heterosexuality with normalcy or you will be in for a world of disappointment.
It is STILL a counselling center. Chris is not the only Psychologist there. What’s your point?
Thanks for your comments Jeremy.
You see no issue with a man convicted of sexual assault of a client, registered as a sex-offender, having had his license revoked and on probation basically saying “the doctor is in”? Deal with this as you wish personally, but that sounds blatantly counter to what the court had in mind – others should not be at risk.
Hi David, I’ll try not to repeat myself, but no one was ever at risk in the first place. Second of all, answering the phone for his wife is not the same as seeing clients.
While I appreciate everyone’s remarks to Jeremy, I have to state that I am somewhat sceptical about his posts. Jon Marc pointed out a problem with the age and high school. Jeremy also said he met with online predators at 14/15. If the Myspace page is correct, then that would be impossible. The timeline is confusing. There is something that just is bugging me based on the comments, as if there is a troll situation. No one really seems to be questioning that. Jeremy, I am sorry if I am wrong, but I am very sceptical in claims such as yours. Also, I have never received any emails ever from anyone except admin from this site.
I had a friend whose wife went to a therapist (sadly on my suggestion). The therapist manipulated her, sexually abused numerous patients, and then forced my friend’s wife to divorce my friend and marry him. The state investigated this guy, and he lost his license. Tons of patients came to his defense and could not believe the charges, but outsiders could see the abuse.
Jeremy, that you see nothing wrong with a man in the situation described even being near a counseling situation – wife or otherwise – indicates that your judgment is impaired here.
You are repeating yourself Jeremy, and you are providing nothing but blind denials wrapped up in argument. No more.
Jeremy,
People weren’t only at risk, they were victimized and their abuser has been sentenced for his crimes. I doubt his probation allows him to still see patients or be active in the clinic.
Aaron feel free to email me if you have any questions. I just now fixed the myspace page. It had said 27 in the “About Me” section – which is the age I was when I started the profile. It is now updated to 29.
When I was a teenager I was talking to “online predators” through a bbs (bulletin board system) called the Matchmaker. It was a dialup system that was based in Bedford. I never said it was through myspace. Perhaps the term “online” was a bad choice of words since it was bbs not the “internet.” Anyway, I’m not proud of that. I only mentioned it as a reference in the early discussion about abusive situations.
Anyway, if you’re really that interested in researching me; I’m an open book online. You can just google my name. I’m sure you can find out anything you want to know that way or you can ask me directly. I apologize that myspace wasn’t up to date, but I really haven’t spent much time on there lately.
I posted on here to defend someone that I believe to be innnocent; not to talk about myself. I’m willing to answer any questions you have though.
Take care,
Jeremy
It seems that his beloved Doctor also taught Jeremy that gays cannot be normal and healthy people, maybe all this situation can make him rethink that.
Aaron,
I can understand your skepticism, but I can confirm to you that Jeremy is who he says and he is not a troll. He’s just a guy who’s had some major issues in life, has been receiving help from Dr. Austin, and is now convinced of Dr. Austin’s innocence no matter what. I’ve not met him personally, but he was a friend of Tdub’s and Jeremy and I have other mutual friends. He’s always had that MySpace page and if there are or were any errors on it, it’s not because he’s not really the guy you see there. Hope that helps. 🙂
Thanks Pam 🙂
Warren,
Although “holding therapy” is not commonly practiced in therapy, some mental health professionals do hold or embrace their patients in their arms to comfort them. Be careful, it is non-sexual. At the same time, holding might send mixed messages to the patients.
However, in the case of Chris Austin, it is more than holding. He asked his patients to take their clothes off and held them and did some perverted sexual acts to them(censored). This is very wrong and very evil.
While this kind of news does little to truly discredit the practice of ex-gay therapy, it does bring in to light the problems with hypocrisy that seem to crop up too often in those circles. I hope his victims can find healing and I hope that the Dr. himself can come to terms with himself.
Hi Warren,
Was the holding therapy you described what the court case about? Has anyone else (other than those in the case) mentioned anything about nudity or sexual touching?
I’m just asking (in case anyone can enlighten me). I’ve been to a lot of the holding therapy type group sessions and talked about it a lot one-on-one with Chris, but I never heard anyone mention doing it in the nude.
I couldn’t find the court documents online so please excuse my ignorance of the case details.
Thanks,
Jeremy (the non-anonymous “troll”) 🙂
Colin Cook pioneered touch therapy and “nude massages.” He molested, abused, and took advantage of many of his clients. He was able to resurrect himself twice – but he always fell.
Is it not rather obvious that all this “therapy” (touch, cuddle, hold, hug) is simply vicarious affection for the therapist, and some of the clients as well? What better way to be both ex-gay and satisfy ones needs for affection and sex – become and ex-gay counselor and fondle your clients.
Jeremy,
The court document is NOT availabe online–the DA office is particularly slow in adopting new technology. The court report could be costly because of the length of the trial. It might be in the range of one to a few thousand of dollars. But it is available to the public. Again, you can call ADA Julie Wilbanks at Frank Crowley court house about the case.
The case is not about holding therapy. It is not criminal to hold someone in the therapy room. It is about holding the patient, arousing him sexually with and without clothes, and performing sexual acts to them. That is what disgust the jury. And that is why Chris Austin is found guilty for sexual assault. The witnesses, who testified in the trial, were sexually assaulted in the therapy room. However, NOT all of them had sex with Chris. Jeremy, this is an extremely serious matter. The testimonies are unique and disturbing to listen to. To say that the witnesses “blantantly false” accusations is unwarranted and a serious mockery to our judicial system. I truly applaud the witnesses for coming forward to tell the TRUTH. You can choose to believe or not believe their testimonies.
Thanks Darrell. I was just asking for clarity.
Have a good weekend,
Jeremy
According to Carmen Foster of Abileen Christian University, they have removed Austin and Renew as a resource from their Counselling Services.
j.
Austin was guilty of oral sex with his patients. This implies nudity in his “touch therapy.”
The gay subculture is pretty evil. Anyone that has really lived in it (that is truthful) will concur. Wayne Besen is obsessed with bringing every ex-gay down. He tried to make false allegations about me when I was in Washington, DC. I haven’t slept with a man in 23 years. Gays can heal. No one is born that way. Secular psychiatrists will even tell you that. the only gay gene is Levi-Strauss 501 Button flys!!! These are perilous times. Most born-again Christians know that Jesus Christ is coming back real soon and you don’t want to be caught in a gay bar when that happens. Pray that Wayne will receive Jesus Christ. He is like the apostle Paul in the bible. Paul was a Jew who did his best to stamp out Christianity…he even killed Christians!!!Did God zap him and send him down into hell???…no he SAVED him and then Paul went on to write 2/3 of the New Testament…Pray for Wayne Besen’s soul…If God saved Anthony Falzarano and Paul and Sy Rogers and Joe Dallas,He can save Wayne Besen’s soul. The time is coming to an end…Look at the world and compare it to the bible…The end days are here…I beg you to repent of (whatever your sins are) and be saved…In Jesus Christ…Anthony Falzarano P.S. Wayne Besen is going to be a great ex-gay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have known Chris since 1995. At that time he volunteered as a facilitator for a group of survivors of sexual abuse. I joined the group when I came to the DFW area. He worked with our group weekly for many years. Chris has continued as my therapist until he called to inform me that he was losing his license.
In many of the groups that I have been to over the last 30 years, people have talked about falling victim to doctors and therapist who made improper advances toward patients. They had put their trust in professionals to help guide them through the healing process. I am always so shocked and outraged by this kind of behavior!
I know how if feels when no one believes you because your abuser is a prominent, Christian adult. I am especially observant when it comes to noticing children who have been or are being abused. It goes hand in hand with my profession. I believe this is because of my own abuse as a child and teenager. Believe me – I AM on the side of the abused!
The adult male who has accused Chris is NOT a stable person and has an imagination warped by his illness. At one point he placed flyers on all the cars in a church parking lot where Chris was a member. There are hundreds of people who will stand up for Chris. I am just one of them. I personally know of at least 30 people that have gone to Chris for guidance. They are as shocked as I am by this misguided campaign of lies.
.
Some people in this forum have said, “I have a very good “Gaydar” and he registers a “0″ on that scale”. Well, I have very good “Abuser–dar” – if there is such a word.
Chris is NOT an abuser. He does not have it in his nature.
I have seen him surrounded by children and there has never been an inappropriate glance or gesture. That he will be registered as a sexual abuser is the greatest injustice.
It breaks my heart that this abuse is being perpetrated against someone who has given his life helping anyone that has a need.
Please realize, sometimes accusations, no matter how vivid, detailed or “documented” can be imagined and totally false.
Anthony, please try to stay somewhere near the topic, which here is the conviction of Chris Austin for sexual assault. If you have personal comments for Wayne Besen, please use his site, not XGW.
@ Pam
I’m genuinely curious. Would any amount of evidence against this man convince you of his guilt? If so, what would that be?
All things aside, I think its safe to assume that the court used a much higher standard of evidence than a person personal opinion of this guy, and I would say the investigation went a lot deeper than simply asking people who knew him if they thought he could do this sort of thing.
If these kind of personal anecdotes and impressions were all that was needed to clear smoeones name, no one would ever be convicted of much of anything, because most criminals of any kind are considered to be normal and incapable of any wrongdoing by friends and neighbors until they’re caught.
Anthony,
WOW. I can’t believe you actually posted here. I’ve only heard of you until now- (through Besen, et al) – and I thought it was exagerations – but wow. Your post has shown me nobody has exagerated a THING. Mostly I heard about how you started PFOX but then was kicked out by your own creation for being a lunatic. Oops.
In Wayne’s book, he says before 2000, you warned him to repent and come to Jesus because he was coming at the turn of the Millennial year. Then you saw him later on (after it DIDN’T happen) and didn’t say a word about Jesus coming – I mean, according to your prophecy, he should have already come and I should be burning in Hades. But he didn’t. Because you were wrong.
Good luck converting Wayne in any way. He’s a proud Jew and a proud Gay.
Some people in this forum have said, “I have a very good “Gaydar” and he registers a “0″ on that scale”. Well, I have very good “Abuser–dar” – if there is such a word.
Chris is NOT an abuser. He does not have it in his nature.
I have seen him surrounded by children and there has never been an inappropriate glance or gesture.
From what I understand, he was accused of abusing adult men, not women or children (someone please correct me if I’m wrong). It makes sense that he would not be dangerous around people he wasn’t looking to abuse.
Anthony, in another section of the site, you state that gay people have shown hate for you, and then in this forum you state that gay subculture is pretty evil. Do you really think that gay people are supposed to accept your name calling and bizarre statements and not respond to it.
You stated in another post that you are hated because of Christ; no, while some may hate you, most probably feel sad for you. Honestly, bizarre statements like those above make me laugh more than anything.
Alan, actually many Christians in the first century after his death thought he was coming back then.
Alan, just fyi regarding your comment about celibacy: Last I heard, Falzarano was married with college-age or post-graduate kids.
Moderated: Personal accusations withheld until substantiation is received.
Jessica, if you have proof of these claims, please send them to us. Until then, please refrain from comments of that nature.
Jessica, this website had nothing to do with conviction. That was the court system. All this site has done is reported the facts. Also, where did you get this info about the jurors? No juror would ever say that about the cruise because that would be illegal.
It’s interesting to me the one thing you chose to comment on. Also, I heard quite a few mentions of the conviction before I wrote my post, so why is it that I shouldn’t be commenting on the conviction? Most of my post wasn’t about the conviction, anyway. The information I got came from my father who was at the trial. If I am not mistaken, it was reported by one of the jurors when he/she was being interviewed after the trial. I’ll ask him specifically if that is correct and if it’s not, I’ll comment tomorrow to let you know.
We can’t verify information you got from your father who was at the trial, nor can we put it into context. We are looking into the possibility of obtaining transcripts, but that may not be financially feasible.
I continue to be amazed at the Svengali like ability Mr. Austin seems to have over some people. I’ll ask you the same thing I asked another commenter; would any amount of evidence against this man convince you of his guilt? If so, what would that be?
What’s the matter Falzerano, don’t like how you wacky dangerous ex gay phonies are being exposed by Wayne Beson? You take the cake for being the ‘grand ex gay of all crazies”, hopefully Wayne will expose your bathroom trysts as well!
Jessica, the one thing I choose to comment on was because the item lacked credibility–without credibility, it throws the whole into question.
The last year has been interesting because we have seen respected people in situations that questioned their moral standing. Larry Craig, David Vitter, Ted Haggard, etc. These are all people who have people around them who state that they are good people, and these things can’t be true. Simply because we know someone does not mean they cannot do bad things. A friend of mine in December shocked everyone when he was caught molesting his daughter. No one, not even his wife, could believe that this person was guilty, but the evidence was there. I was shocked because there was no suggestion at all that he would have done such a thing. Turns out it was going on for years.
David, I noticed your comment and question repeated: “I’ll ask you the same thing I asked another commenter; would any amount of evidence against this man convince you of his guilt? If so, what would that be?”
I have to ask you the same question. What miniscule amount of evidence did you consider before deciding he was guilty?
Everyone here has seemed really eager to believe the worst about Dr. Austin. Even when the accusations were initially dropped by Mark Hufford a while back no one here would even consider that they might have been false to begin with.
Did the jury have any physical (DNA) evidence to consider or was this all about who they believed (Dr. Austin vs. Hufford and Tan, etc.)?
It’s not hard for me to believe that a few determined anti-ex-gay activists would say whatever it took to stop Dr. Austin or anyone else in this field. I’m not saying that they did. I’m just saying, it wouldn’t suprise me.
XGW did not decide Austin was guilty; a Texas jury did, and there’s been no indication yet of an appeal by Austin.
I am dismayed at the contempt shown by both Jeremy and Jessica toward the U.S. judicial system. I am especially disappointed at the flimsy claims by the so-called “Jessica” (no last name) regarding unspecified observations by unnamed relatives.
Why is it that some people consider themselves, and their ideological allies, above the law?
Jeremy, I did not presume guilt on Craig ever. I took the fact that he was convicted of a crime. There is a fairly high standard of guilt in this country–and I trust the system. I read the facts presented, and that is it. Could the jury be wrong?–possibly. If he is innocent, he will appeal. Few prosecuters would bring something to trial unless they have some kind of evidence beyond testimony, which is considered problematic. Most jurors also take their responsability fairly seriously. Once a person is convicted of a crime, we generally as a public see the person as guilty, so attacking people for saying that someone is convicted of a crime is not smear. You seem to be taking a news item and turning it into something way more personal than it should be. It was simply a news item reported here. If you read David’s original story, there is no indication of making a slight–he is just reporting the facts from another site.
If they appeal, it goes to a judge only- not a jury. If that judge decides that Chris is guilty, he has to serve the original sentence- 10 years in jail. That is why they have not yet decided whether or not to appeal. If he appeals and loses, he has to be without his family for 10 years. And as far as evidence goes, I would definitely believe it if there was any proof that he did it. Alas, there has been none. Only accusations by unstable people. It’s one man’s word against another, and in this day and age people are only too eager to condemn anyone on sexual assault charges. It is no longer innocent until proven guilty.
Anyway, I’m not interested in arguing with anyone, so this will be my last post. Jeremy– I suggest you do the same. These people will never be convinced, and they see the supporters Chris has. Just as they say my claims are “flimsy,” so are theirs. I just wanted to defend Chris by giving some information from an insider’s point of view.
If this were true and there were evidence, I would be sad, but I would believe it. It seems to me, though, like Chris is just another good man martyred by people filled with hate.
Most born-again Christians know that Jesus Christ is coming back real soon and you don’t want to be caught in a gay bar when that happens.
I just hope those “born agains” aren’t caught walking past a homeless person who asks for help, or are in any remarriage (which Christ called adultery), building up their own personal wealth whist ignoring the needs of the poor, charging interest on loans or applying parts of the Bible to others whilst ignoring the parts that apply to them. You know, the things Jesus actually talked about.
I have to confess that there are quite a few things that I might worry that Jesus would ask me about if he were to come back tomorrow, but being gay is not one of them – nor would I be concerned about him finding me in a gay bar.
“He tried to make false allegations about me when I was in Washington, DC. I haven’t slept with a man in 23 years.”
Mr. Falzarano – please provide evidence of this false assertion. Where were these false allegations made? What publication? I am sure you can find it on Google.
What you may be referring too, of course, is a witness I found in DC (he still lives there and is willing to testify, so don’t push your luck) who claims you slept with him while you were married. He had a letter you wrote saying that you must end the affair.
Now – my jounralistic training ensures that I have a second source to corroborate before I publish. This is why this very convincing accusation never made it to print, nor in my book. The alleged event also happened many years ago,(while you still lived near Logan Circle) which made it less interesting. Hence, it was never published.
Based on my own journalistic standards, I have no reason to deny your claim that you have been faithful for 23 years. As far as I am concerned, you have, until overwhelming evidence suggests otherwise. Then again, my witness is quite convincing. Perhaps, we should consider working a little harder to find a second witness to back up the first, now that your book is about to be published and you will be back on the scene.
Anthony – you are a little batty, but one of my favorite ex-gays. I sincerely hope that you are living the life you say you are. I wish you the best of luck.
Like Wayne, I consider Anthony Falzarano one of my favorite ex-gays.
I think it’s sad that he has always been unwilling to listen to real gay people. He simply repeats his own strawman arguments ad nauseam — stale arguments that haven’t evolved since his days with Roy Cohn decades ago. Then he attributes those strawmen to people whom he hasn’t taken the time to know. And finally, he ascribes to the myth that one’s own gossip, spoken often enough, can become true through mere repetition or sheer force of one’s misplaced indignation.
Jeremy,
You mentioned a trial “Dr. Austin vs. Hufford and Tan, etc”? Are you referring to the recent trial that ends on 090507 when Chris is found guitly on?
Jessica said:
As I understand it, an appeal of a guilty verdict would be to determine if an error of law was made during the trial – a judge does not then decide innocence or guilt. It doesn’t sound like you really know what is going on. Perhaps a genuine attorney can comment on your claim.
Jessica, he WAS proved guilty, in a court of law, by 12 jurors. The presumption of innocence does not extend beyond the conviction. Good heavens, this is incredible. I’ve heard cult members with less conviction.
I know Chris and have known him for some time… I was one of his victims. I did not testify because of personal reasons…that I can’t get into on here.
But I want everyone to know…everyone that is dead set on supporting Christopher Austin. That he is not innocent…not in the least.
There are two reasons why I am glad that Chris was convicted.
1) Because I was justified.
2) Because if he wasn’t convicted…I would have felt guilty for the rest of my life for not testifying.
Please…don’t ridicule me for not testifying…again…it was because of personal reasons. You can refer to one of Pam Ferguson’s previous posts for a little more clarification.
Jeremy- It is very sad that it has come to this. I am sorry that you are still shocked. But like they said….you are one of the lucky ones.
I could go on and on with how it all came about…but I really don’t know how to get into all of that here. I have sent an email to somone to discuss it with them….just so I can get it off my chest.
Joe,
Did you mention your story to the DA and decide not to testify? I know testifying against a perpetrator(Chris) is intimidating in a courtroom, but it is rewarding because you claim some of the power back. Even if Chris were found innocent in the trial, you would still feel empowered because you told your story to everyone.
Darrell – no I did not mention my story to the DA… I was afraid I would get supen. and I didn’t want that to happen.
This notion that his other clients are some how lucky is ridiculous, this man betrayed their trust. All of his clients have to reassess their experiences, and come to terms with the fact that they trusted someone who was not trustworthy. There are no lucky people in this situation because the damage done extends to anyone who crossed paths with this guy.
Joe,
There are laws to protect a victim and keep you anonymous. You can send me an email: goodkid09@yahoo.com.
Do you mean you were afraid you would be called to testify? Can I infer that others in your life (wife?) didn’t or don’t know you are gay? I realize this can be difficult, and I don’t mean to pry. You have to realize that this is probably one of the reasons he picked you, and that’s not your fault.
PW, I think we can agree that being sexually assaulted by the guy would be more traumatic for most than realizing he had done so to others. It’s a matter of degree.
David, I agree, but I would not call anyone who crossed paths with this guy, lucky.
Anonymous, can I suggest that you pick a name to use as your identity here other than “anonymous”? It can be whatever you like, but it makes it easier to refer to you in the future. Who knows, you may want to comment again.
If you decide to change it, I will synchronize your other comments so they all match.
No, from what I have seen here, I would have to agree, PW.
PW, if you don’t mind me asking, have you been in a similar situation? Your comments here seem quite passionate, even a little angry.
David, you are very perceptive and I’ll be forthright. I was a client of Dr. Austin for a few years and this whole situation is deeply disturbing to me.
PW,
I know exactly (well, mostly) what you’re feeling when you talk about “reassessing your experience” based on this knowledge. It is very disturbing. For me, I have to remember that good things can and very often do come from bad experiences. It’s been proven to me over and over again. I say that to you specifically as an encouragement and hopefully a comfort as you work your way through this “mess” of figuring out where to put all that you’ve been through in regards to your therapy with Dr. Chris.
PW,
I really do consider myself very fortunate to have come across Dr. Chris Austin. He saved my life. I will always be appreciative to him for that. I hope he can continue his ministry in some form or fashion.
Jeremy, considering his conviction and what he did, I for one would be pleased if he could NOT continue in what he has been doing.
PW, I’ve had experiences with a couple of therapists which, while they pale in comparison, give me some insight into how you must feel; such a tragic betrayal, and a violation on many levels. My heart goes out to you and the others who have been through this. That’s all I can think of to say.
Not sure I understand what the rules are here. What exactly requires substantiation? An anonymous poster can claim they are a victim of Dr. Austin, but Jessica says something a juror said and she’s censored?
Then Darrell, who says he was at the trial, says “The jury found him guilty and gave him 7 years of probation.” Either he is lying about being at the trial and knowing what happened, lying about what he knows, or simply mistaken. I will give him the benefit of the doubt and assume the last, but it was glaringly obvious that no one corrected him. Again, one has to question the objectivity.
What is known is that the jury sentenced Dr. Austin to 10 years of jail, but the judge downsized the sentence to NO jail, and 7 years of probation. In any trial, the judge is privy to more information than the jurors. Obviously, the jury was not allowed to hear items that could have exonerated Dr. Austin. If the judge had thought he molested a 17 year old, why would he remove the jail sentence? Logic says he would never do that.
Finally, Darrell suggested calling Julie at the Frank Crowley courthouse. While everyone is talking to her, ask her what the jury count was at the end of the first deliberation day. I think you will find it enlightening, but won’t mention it here for fear of being censored. All I will say is that someone in that jury must have been extremely influential.
Jessica said things about the trial third hand, and chief among those things were accusations about someone who was not on trial. If someone said that their neighbor told them that Prentiss Fontaine had a frontal lobotomy, and then used that to justify all kinds of insinuations about you, we would hold that back too until and unless that person could provide some proof.
We do not remove things because they are inconvenient – if so I could have easily removed your comment just now, or another one earlier today. When we take that extreme measure, there is good reason and we tell people that we have done so and why.
We don’t need proof that Darrel or Joe were clients of Dr. Austin, because they haven’t said anything that requires justification.
Again, if the cost is not prohibitive, we will get the transcripts. At the very least, we will obtain the basic court documents and share them as possible. Until then, please refrain from any more conspiratorial tid-bits. A jury is “privy” to the evidence which the prosecution and the defense present, and which the judge determines is lawful for them to consider. That is how it works.
How they lined up on the first day of deliberations is unimportant and that you mention it is absurd. Again, the defense of this man borders on cult like devotion. It is shocking.
OK, so just to make sure I understand the rules of the board, there is not to be any 3rd person accusations without proof, and if any accusation is to be made sans proof, it must be against someone who was on trial, specifically Dr. Austin. Did I get that right?
Yes, I understand how a judge and jury work, but that does not mean the jury is allowed to see the most applicable evidence in every trial. I am sure you understand that.
Oh, and how the jury lined up after day one does matter to me. This is simply my opinion, and because it does not align with yours does not make it absurd.
Prentiss, no one here is interested in your sarcasm. I’ve spent the last few days listening to the stories of people left in the wake of this man’s actions. It’s sad, it’s painful, it’s disgusting, and it’s a felony. So know up front, at this point I’m not interested in you or anyone else taking further advantage of these people with bizarre, cult-like devotion. He has been convicted in a court of law. Deal with it, don’t deal with it, I don’t really care.
Prentiss, for the love of sanity, if you have something to say, then spit it out. Because I for one do not understand how you think it helps your case to throw around wild speculations. Nor do I have a lot of patience with the approach you are taking.
“Again, the defense of this man borders on cult like devotion. It is shocking.”
David, I don’t see how it can be “cult like.” Even the people I know who didn’t like Dr. Austin are suprised that the jury came to this conclusion, especially the one person I know who was at the trial.
I don’t have any cult like devotion to anyone. IF Chris was guilty, it’s not like I could really judge him. As I’ve already mentioned, I’ve been guilty of much worse (bar hookups, etc.).
The anonymous accusations and the hearsay regurgitations of accusations on this board are not all that convincing.
Perhaps the jury heard something I didn’t, but I really don’t understand how these fully grown adult men were forced to have sex against their will by an unarmed Dr. Austin within his unlocked office that sits five feet from his wife’s door. Can any of these so called “victims” elaborate.
If these people are telling the truth that would make them opportunists, not “victims.”
I’ve tried to put myself in these “victims'” place (assuming for the sake of argument that everything they said were true).
I can in some sense relate because when I was 18 I told a minister about my struggle with homosexuality. I had sortof picked him to tell because I suspected he had the same problem and might relate. He was married and so I thought he had overcome it. He ended up coming onto me not long after that. I was kindof grossed out and I turned him down. It sortof shocked me, but it didn’t ruin my life. I supose I could I have slept with him and then sued and pressed charges, but that didn’t occur to me at the time.
Now, if Dr. Austin did have homosexual inclinations, and supposing he came onto me when I started seeing him; I would have been greatly dissapointed at finding out that he was a phony. I wouldn’t have been worse off; since I was already engaged in homosexual behavior before that. There would be two possibile responses for me: I could walk out the door in disgust or he would have become “random hookup #201.”
Jeremy, you seem callous and unfeeling. I can’t identify with the life you have led, but it sounds dangerous and perhaps it has left you without the ability to understand just how devastating a betrayal of this type can be. This is classic “blame the victim.” What Austin was convicted of is not gay sex, and it is not a “random hookup.” It was an abuse of authority and a relationship which is by its very nature trusting and vulnerable.
I don’t think there is anything else anyone can say that would convince you, and I’m not going to try.
Sorry for being callous. I just don’t believe it happened and so I have zero empathy for the people that have perpetrated these lies and caused this nightmare for Chris and his family.
I talked to him and his wife today and they both seemed wiped out by all of this. I am very angry that this has happened to them.
As far as the nature of the criminal charges; I’m not defending the concept or saying that it would be ok if something this really had happened. I just don’t believe that it is possible, without an overlly eager “victim.” (especially with the layout of Chris’s office)
Jeremy, I think it’s one thing to defend someone you believe to be innocent but this is not the way to go about it.
Here’s why those things make you WAY less guilty than Chris Austin:
-Bar Hookups, etc. are not illegal.
-Meeting up with someone for a mutual hookup is not the same thing as taking advantage of a vulnerable person while you’re in a position of power.
This is unbelievably insensitive. “Callous” is a very kind way to describe it. Men who are desperate to transition out of Homosexuality and rid themselves of same sex attractions will sometimes do anything – and I mean, ANYTHING – to make it happen. If they think it will work, they will do it. Later on, they may realize it was wrong for them – they will probably even feel wrong while doing it but will do it because they think it is part of their therapy, and that since the therapist knows what they’re doing to help them, they’ll go along with it. Homosexuals Anonymous founder Colin Cook abused adult men for years to satisfy his own SSA desires:
It should also be noted that not all patients are going to be targets of abuse. Abusers tend to be shrewd about who they know they can take advantage of. And PW is right. It’s one thing to defend your own convictions, but belittling those who claim abuse is no way to go about it. It is extremely difficult in our society for abused men to come forward. http://www.malesurvivor.org has more information about this.
Prentiss,
Here’s how it works. Give only first-hand knowledge, as in, relate your own experience. Other than that, if you have some claims to make, you need to be able to back them up. Look, there’s ALOT more I could say about all of this. TONS. But, I’m only going to relate what happened to me, personally.
Jeremy,
It makes me sad that you appear (in my view) to think so little of yourself that even IF Chris had taken advantage of you, you’d find yourself in any way at fault in that situation. It’s not like I think the man ought to be roasted over a spit. He just needs to stop practicing “therapy”, in my opinion. He’s taken advantage of some folks in really sick and twisted ways (first-hand knowledge). I have 2nd and 3rd hand knowledge from other very trust mutual friends of ours….I don’t share that stuff….but….Jeremy….please…..the lay-out of the office??? Good grief, we’ve both been to the counseling center, I just don’t see how you could pull that up as any sort of reasonable defense. Remember, there are folks reading this who’ve been in those places and actually DONE the things we’re talking about here. The layout of the office, may have been helpful to that end in my opinion.
ok…I really need to be done with this discussion, as probably we all do.
I wish you well Jeremy! Email me!
I think this is a fitting time to close this thread to additional comments. We’ve left it open this long (110 comments) because it seemed so many needed to share and grieve about their experiences with Dr. Austin.
I feel certain that we will post on this again shortly, and perhaps even create a separate space for some of you to deal with this. If you are interested, please email me at editor@exgaywatch.com. We will respect your privacy.
If you came to XGW for the first time because of this thread, we encourage you to stick around and participate if you like.
Many have emailed asking us to keep this open for a while longer, so for now we will do so. However, more stringent moderation will be in place on this thread only. Do not expect callous posts to remain.
Hi David. Would you please clarify what you mean by “callous posts”? Are you referring to language that is insensitive towards the plaintiffs in this case, or towards Dr. Austin’s clients who may be posting here, or both?
I will most likely continue to follow this thread and may choose to post occasionally. I want to make sure I remain within the parameters you’ve established. Thanks.
Jeremy,
At least one client was not an adult. If you read the conviction of Dr. Austin , it was WITH A MINOR!
In the posts about the sentence being lowered by the judge, this is not true. There was a plea agreement entered into by the attorneys, and the jurors were never given the option of setting a sentence for Dr. Austin. My conversations with the DA leading up to my own witnessing at the trial were that Dr. Austin would receive probation. I myself did not wish to see him serve time in jail as this would not allow for the counselling requirements that his probatin does. Our family was truly put through the ringer by this man, and yet we as a family have chosen to forgive him. However forgiveness does not come without the need for responsibility and consequences for actions. I truly pray for Dr. austin’s family and his friends and of course himself. I hope that they find the healing that our family has and will grown into stronger people for having dealt with their issues.
I have to say, after hearing the vile accounts of victims, and of the ability of this man to deceive them (as evidenced even here by those who staunchly defend him), I can’t agree that he should have received probation. You may have forgiven him, but the focus at this point should not be counseling for him, but protection for the next victim.
I can appreciate that you are trying to let go of your own hate, etc., with this act, but honestly, do you think these restrictions can keep someone like Austin from doing this again and again? You know him and what he can do; can you really imagine he will stop?
We’ve not yet seen the last victim, and God help those who knowingly unleashed this man back to society.
Unfortunately the system doesn’t allow for the putting away of predators like Dr. Austin for the rest of their lives. If Dr. Austin had received jail time with over crowding and good behavior he would have been unmonitored and completely free to abuse again within a few years. At least with his current sentence he is monitored weekly and has to undergo lie detector testing yearly and has had his license taken away. While these actions do not prevent him from finding new victims, at least it has taken away his easy access to hurting needy victims paying him to hurt them instead of help them. I do agree that his punishment has not fit his crime. However our justice system does not always find in the favor of the victim.
I want to say as well that while the time period that Dr Austin abused my brother was a difficlt time, I am unbelieveablly proud of the man my brother has become. Dr. Austin’s actions did not destroy him. His kind and gentle spirit lives on and thrives!!! My brother is not a bitter man. He has not chosen to live in the past and has become a man that I am proud to say I get the pleasure of knowing.
Sister,
I am glad to hear the positive report of how your brother is able to overlook the negative and destructive and has gone on to thrive. I wish him (and you) all the best.
Sister, thank you for sharing. I also am proud that your brother is a gentle and forgiving man, and a brave one at that. He has moved on and it is a pleasure to have come to know him.
Pam F., You are truely a wise woman with a great sense of grace and compassion. God bless you.
Joe, Don’t feel guilty or badly about anything. Work past it all and you will see you can find peace about it. It was very hard to testify, I would have preferred not to.
I agree with Singer, everyone be patient and mindful of anyone viewing the posts. This is as hard on current and past clients as it was for the victims. Whether you believe it to be true or not, there is much healing for the victims, Chris Austin, his family, and clients. It is a time to be prayerful for everyone concerned. Throwing blame and accusations around only causes more difficulty for everyone. The only thing anyone knows to be fact is their own experiences. Not those of others. That would be judgement, which I believe is God’s???
With all due respect, a jury of his peers have judged him to be guilty in a court of law. We are way beyond that point, and dealing with the pain of his victims, and the danger that he will re-offend.
David,
I am aware that the jury found him guilty. I was not disagreeing with that as I exposed this in 2001 when it happened to me.
I agree with the findings of the court and the punishment. But I also see the needs of current clients, they have pain to deal with as well. I apoligize if my post was misunderstood.
After hearing from so many of them privately, trust me I understand that enormous pain is involved. But if you have been following this thread, you will probably know what prompts my reminders that this man has indeed been found guilty.
Other than the passing of my own mother, I am hard pressed to find an event in the past few years which has made me feel more sad than the lives of these people as they relayed their experiences with Mr. Austin. My recommendation to all of them has been to get real, qualified counseling (not a church group) for the assault and betrayal issues, and then deal with the questions about orientation if they are still there.
I will pray for all of them, including you.
As a former client of his I must say that I was not surprised to hear about the guilty verdict. Until one gets to know him it’s difficult to describe how quickly and easily he gains the trust, loyalty, love, and admiration of his clients (including me). This almost unbelievable loyalty, even when one must face the truth of what other victims say they have experienced in his hands, is testament to how really manipulative and cunning he is. The entire process he took these victims through that others have described….he “educates” the clients on the benefits of touch thereapy, when the client is convinced this is helpful to their therapy then it easily progresses to actual touch therapy…progressing to holding…to naked holding…to sexual contact ….sounds way too familiar to me to think that the victims made this up. One has to have developed a deep trust in him for this abuse to occur and he made sure he had developed that level of trust before he chose his victims. Even after actual contact occurs, he “helps” the client understand that this is beneficial to healing. Unfortunatly it seems to be the most trusting ones that are taken in and the level of betrayal felt is very deep and wounding.
My association w/ Chris goes back to late 93 or early 94 when he started group sessions. I also saw him weekly for private counseling.
Many of my gay friends feel that such counseling/groups are horrific. However, my experience was that I found many guys who were raised in an evangelical setting to be thoroughly confused w/ the issues they were facing. Most were acting our anonymously and had never been able to address the fact that their sexual urges conflicted with their spiritual beliefs. As a result, overwhelming guilt, fear of hell, depression, etc. were more than many could bear.
In these groups, I found many for the first time being able to talk about their feelings and fears. It was also the first time most had been able to talk about their sexuality and how it conflicted with their spirituality.
Having a master’s degree in theology and a strong Christian heritage, I had to wrestle with the fact that I could not reconcile my faith and my sexual urges. After wrestling with this issue and trying to reach out to those who I respected in the Christian world, I was directed to Chris. I was also attending an Exodus group. I appreciated the meetings, the interaction, and the fact that these guys were trying to find peace in their life. I quit after a period of time because I felt I had heard all of the theories and felt certain that no one can truly be “healed.” I felt certain that most of these guys would evenutally come out (which they did) or they could at least find some level of peace in their life.
The Chris I knew was a great guy and never came near a line of being inappropriate. However, I know that in any counseling situation, there is always a vulnerability on both the part of the counselor and counselee. Did he cross it? No one but those involved truly know.
In summation, I just want to say that I feel that while these ex-gay ministries are not going to “heal” anyone, it is often the first step for many evangelicals struggling with their sexuality to begin exploring where their life is headed. My experience was that nearly all eventually came out. I only hope they have found peace of mind. I’m still a strong Christian but had to reevaluate the theology I was taught. I’ve never had a “dark day” like I did before I confronted who I was – both sexually and spiritually.
These comments are off the cuff and I don’t have time to edit or clarify, so I hope this of help to some.
The issue in this post was not ex-gay counselors in general, it was about one in particular who has been previously accused, and now convicted, of sexual assault on a client. It amazes me how many people can still say things like, “Did he cross it? No one but those involved truly know.”
If you had heard half the painful accounts I did after this post ran, accounts by people not at all “out and proud” but very much seeking to remain married, “true to their faith”, etc., I doubt very much you would write that.
If you believe what you have posted about people needing a starting place, someone who shares their values, etc., then this is the last guy you want available to them.
Rob,
Thank you for your compassionate and personal story. I have heard many times of how ex-gay ministries have been the first step that gay folks took towards finding peace and reconciliation between their faith and their orientation.
It is sad and infuriating that this particular guy violated the trust of some of those he counseled. But I’m glad that you were able to get some good from his efforts.
Rob,
I’d like to second what Timothy said.
In fact, one study (Shidlo and Schroeder ) whose main purpose was to document harms of ex-gay ministry mentioned several positives experienced by some, echoing some of the points that you raised. And I also heard many of those same sentiments expressed at the Beyond Ex-Gay conference.