Hillsong founder Brian Houston has told a Sydney court it is "absurd" to suggest he would claim a man had "tempted" his paedophile father into abusing him as a child.
Mr Houston has pleaded not guilty to concealing his late father, Frank Houston's, abuse of a seven-year-old boy in the 1970s.
The 68-year-old is being cross-examined as he gives evidence at a special fixture before Downing Centre Local Court.
Brian Houston, formerly the global leader of Pentecostal megachurch Hillsong, has told the court his father confessed to molesting the boy when confronted in 1999.
He maintains that he respected the wishes of victim Brett Sengstock, then aged in his 30s, by not reporting the matter to police.
Frank Houston, who was stripped of his credentials as a pastor for the Assemblies of God, died in 2004.
Today, his son rejected allegations from prosecutors that he only disclosed his father's confession to church figures so he could "have control" over a potential scandal.
He told the court he had "no option" but to tell the national executive of the Assemblies of God, saying if he had not it would have constituted a "cover-up".
"And that was my intention to never, ever be guilty of a cover-up," Mr Houston said.
Crown prosecutor Gareth Harrison asked Brian Houston about a call with Mr Sengstock, which centred on a payment of $10,000 from Frank Houston.
Brian Houston said he was "frustrated" during the call, as he had told his parents he wanted to be kept at "arm's length" from those discussions.
Mr Harrison put to Mr Houston that he became "angry" with Mr Sengstock for calling about money, and alleged he said: "You know this is all your fault and you tempted my father."
Brian Houston said he denied that "as strongly as I can".
The prosecutor pressed him on the alleged comments, leading to an emphatic rebuttal from Mr Houston.
"It's nonsense. I mean, who would say that about a seven-year-old boy, or a 10-year-old boy … it's just an absurd notion."
He told the court Mr Sengstock had made it clear he did not want the matter "escalated" to either church leaders or the police.
Mr Harrison put to Mr Houston that Mr Sengstock never spoke about not wanting police involved, which he denied.
The court heard he had been told in a meeting with pastor Barbara Taylor that Mr Sengstock was considering going to "secular courts", but believed that was a reference to him seeking "financial compensation" through a civil case.
Magistrate Gareth Christofi asked Mr Houston whether he had ever told Mr Sengstock that the church would support him in going to authorities.
"I don't remember those words, but I certainly did not in any way inhibit his ability to go to the police," he replied.
Mr Houston agreed he had "free will" to report his father's confession to police but chose not to.
Mr Harrison put to Mr Houston that was "because you were trying to conceal this from the police".
"No, that's not right," Mr Houston answered.
He accepted that if the abuse had been made public, the church's reputation would likely have been damaged.
Mr Houston, however, maintained controlling public opinion "wasn't primary to my motivation".
Later, he was asked why a letter was released to the church's ministers announcing his father's retirement in November 2000.
It came a year after Frank Houston had been "sacked", the court heard, but Brian Houston denied this letter was a means to allow his father to "quietly retire".
The also court heard a statement referring to a "serious moral failure against Frank Houston" was approved by the executive, but not released until December 2001.
Mr Houston told the court that, despite being the president of the national executive, he was excluded from decisions relating to his father.
The hearing continues.
