New book exposes Little Pebble cult leader

The Inverell Times - Australia
July 18, 2008

by Mairi Manley

EVERY now and then, a journalist wanders across a story that he or she must tell, regardless of the risks or irrevocable consequences of doing so.
These are the words of former Inverell school student and journalist, Graeme Webber in describing his decision to expose and understand the inner workings of Australia’s infamous cult leader William Kamm.
Known as The Little Pebble, Kamm is believed to have molested 17 or more under-aged girls “while reaping millions of dollars from his followers,” according to Webber.
Webber’s book, “A Wolf Among the Sheep” describes how this self-proclaimed “God’s prophet” became a womanising, millionaire cult leader.
Webber has pulled no punches in his account, endeavouring to “reach beyond mere description to explain the absurd.”
“I have been driven by fascination with the psyche of both Kamm and those who hailed him as God’s holy seer,” Webber told The Inverell Times.
Webber attended Inverell High School in 1992 and took up journalism at The Inverell Times soon after completing his HSC.
Heading to Sydney in 1996 to complete his Business Degree, he also worked for Cumberland Newspapers and for Australian Associated Press.
He covered the preliminary hearing in Kamm’s first trial as a freelance journalist.
This sparked his interest and fascination for the case.
“This is when I realised there might be a book in this,” he said.
According to Webber, Kamm has fathered more than 20 children and duped dozens of women and girls into sexual relations by convincing them to join his so-called Royal House as “queens and princesses” to “re-populate the Earth after God’s judgement day.”
“I believe my three years of research has pierced the barrier of silence and secrecy surrounding Kamm’s financial dealings, as well as his sexual relations with Royal House members,” Webber said.
In July, 2005, Kamm was jailed for five years.
His second trial in May, 2007 saw him convicted again, with a combined sentence for both trials of 10 years jail.
Webber claims William Kamm is “a pariah, not a prophet.”
“The personal devastation that he has inflicted over the past decades is almost beyond belief,” he said.
“A forbidden destiny fell upon me when I chose to peer behind the enigmatic façade Of William Kamm aka The Little Pebble.”
This article was found at:
http://inverell.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/writing-the-wrongs/844822.aspx


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Cult rapist loses appeal

The Sydney Morning Herald
June 13, 2008

A self-styled seer and sect leader who sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl he claimed as his "mystical bride" on divine instructions from the Virgin Mary has lost a High Court appeal.
William Kamm, known to his followers as the "Little Pebble", was jailed in 2005 for at least three-and-a-half years for raping and assaulting the teenager in 1993.
Kamm, 57, claims he can communicate with the Virgin Mary, and established a commune for his believers, called the Order of St Charbel, at Cambewarra, on the NSW south coast.
He says he is the messiah of a new holy era, and will choose 12 queens and 72 princesses to help propagate an "immaculate race".
His victim was selected for "mystical marriage" as one of his dozen queens, and over a four-month period he sexually abused her.
Kamm unsuccessfully appealed against his conviction in the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal (CCA).
His lawyer, Gabriel Wendler, argued his case today in the High Court before Justices Dyson Heydon and Susan Kiefel.
Mr Wendler said an amendment to one of the charges, made on the ninth day of the trial, constituted such a breach of judicial regulations that it resulted in a miscarriage of justice.
"There's been a significant and fundamental failure of criminal procedure by which the jury was allowed to be exposed to a large body of evidence which was not properly before them," Mr Wendler said.
He also claimed the jury had exhibited undue prejudice against one of the witnesses when it passed a note to the judge saying that a number of jurors had seen "a member from the public gallery coaching (a) witness".
"That is, mouthing the words that were then spoken by the witness," the note read.
Kamm's legal team applied to have the jury discharged after the note incident, but the judge declined, and instead gave strong directions about the matter in remarks two days later.
Mr Wendler submitted that there were real questions about whether the trial could have been fair if it proceeded on that basis.
The High Court found the CCA had not erred in rejecting Kamm's appeal, and dismissed his application for special leave to reopen his case.
Kamm has also been convicted of abusing another of his young female followers, a conviction he is also understood to be appealing.
This article was found at:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/
cult-rapist-loses-appeal/2008/06/13/
1213321601311.html