Ex-Gay Counselor Chris Austin Convicted of Sexual Assault
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.
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.