Kids were sex cult victims Abuser won awards for child care
A former member of a hippie sex cult is facing jail for sexually and physically abusing children.
Maybole man Alexander Watt was a member of a group called The Children of God or The Family, which was said to support free love and the very strict discipline of children.
A court was told the cult taught that “God is love, love is sex and God’s love shall not be restricted by age or relationship”.
Father- of- ten Watt, 68, appeared at Paisley Sheriff Court this week and admitted abusing two children in the Central Belt in the 1980s.
The court heard that Watt, who lives in Lyon Cottage, was a member of The Children of God and told police probing the abuse that he had been “very much into a hippie religious sect in the 1960s and 70s”.
Procurator fiscal depute David McDonald said: “Publicly available information of the organisation, which is also supported by the complainers and witnesses in this case, suggest this was a sex cult.
“The organisation believed in free love and in the early years there appear to have been no strictures on sex, regardless of age or relationship.
“The rules of the organisation changed around 1986, when sexual contact between adults and children became an excommunicable offence.
“The organisation also advocated very strict discipline of children.”
Watt sexually abused his first victim when she was aged between 4- 8.
She told police she remembered lying naked on a bed while Watt kissed her body, leaving her confused and in floods of tears.
A second sexual incident happened when he cornered her in a bedroom and forced her to touch him.
She was also physically assaulted by Watt, leaving her with bruises and wounds that needed cream to be applied.
Watt went on to sexually and physically assault a boy between 1984 and 1989, when the victim was aged 6- 11.
The boy said he was “sometimes left with bruises and there were always raised, red marks” after he had been struck. He was sometimes hit until he screamed in pain.
He told police of two times he was sexually assaulted, with both incidents taking place in a bathroom.
Watt tickled the boy’s privates and the second time he encouraged the youngster to tickle him, saying it was nothing to be embarrassed about.
The boy first reported the abuse to police in Aberdeen in 2005 but nothing was done until the girl went to police in November 2015 to tell them about offences against her.
Watt was then detained and interviewed by police about it.
Mr McDonald explained: “He said he was very much into a hippie religious sect in the 60s and 70s which was very much into imparting early years sex education meant for people’s knowledge and welfare.
“He was very, very sorry that the whole situation didn’t work out well and some of the children were quite upset and unhappy.
“They had a lot of open attitudes to body parts and awareness of what they were, which could be seen as wrong by British society.”
When asked if he was involved in sexual abuse of children, Watt said: “I think it was part of the schedule.”
Watt pleaded guilty to sexually abusing and assaulting both children. A charge involving another boy was dropped.
Defence advocate Joseph Barr said Watt was remorseful over his conduct and had only sexually abused the children because he was a part of the cult.
He explained: “The pleas tendered today are a heartfelt apology to the complainers.
“Mr Watt recognises the distress he caused them during their childhood years and he totally regrets that.
“He was a fully paid- up member. He believed in their teachings.
“The group advocated all- bodyparts education for children. As he puts it, he followed their teachings.
“That’s what gives rise to these charges and these pleas today.
“His position is he was not doing it for his own sexual gratification or with the intention to corrupt.
“Since he left the sect he has lived quite a remarkable life.
“He has received certain recommendations, commendations and awards for his work with children.
“Effectively he’s been a model citizen throughout his working life.”
Sheriff James Spy called for background reports and continued Watt’s bail.
But he warned the accused: “These are serious charges and could well lead to a custodial sentence.”
Watt, who previously lived in Edinburgh, Paisley and Dumbarton, will be sentenced in December.
His only previous conviction is from the 1970s, when he was jailed for a bank robbery, which is said to have been committed to fund a radical political organisation he was involved with at the time.
Actors River Phoenix and Joaquin Phoenix were raised in the cult. River Phoenix, who died of a drug overdose in 1993, said in a 1991 interview the cult were “ruining people’s lives.”