Coffin Conversations - by dementia

THE creator of a south coast religious community claimed to receive messages from the Virgin Mary and believed a new race of people would be created through him, a Sydney court has heard.

William Kamm, 56, also known as the Little Pebble, is facing trial on five counts of sexual intercourse with a person under 16 under his authority and one count of committing an act of indecency.

The alleged offences occurred between 1994 and 1995 when the alleged victim was 14 and 15, the New South Wales District Court heard today.

At the time, the alleged victim lived with her family at the Order of Saint Charbel, a religious community established by Mr Kamm in the 1980s at Cambewarra, near Nowra on the NSW south coast, Crown Prosecutor Sara Bowers told the court.


Mr Kamm told his followers at the fenced off community he would take 12 queens and 72 princess, all of whom would conceive his children "because he carried the holy seed", Ms Bowers said.

She said Mr Kamm's teachings at the community were of central importance to the case against him.

"The accused claimed that he was receiving messages from the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ," she said.

"He thought the world was about to come to an end but that he and his community would survive and that through the accused a new race of people would come into being."

Acting for Mr Kamm, Greg Stanton told the jury of eight men and four women his client should not be judged on his religious beliefs.

The trial, before Justice Ronald Solomon, resumes tomorrow.