Spanking Pastor: "I Believe A Smack At The Right Time And Place Can Be Beneficial."

A evangelical pastor who denies sexually assaulting female worshippers who say their bare bottoms were spanked told a jury today he was not cruel to young children he also disciplined.

The spankings dished-out to the women were to satisfy 73 year-old self-styled Reverend Howard Curtis's "desire for power and sexual satisfaction," Croydon Crown Court heard.

The father-of-three, of Bloxworth Close, Wallington ran the Coulsdon Christian Fellowship (CCF) as a cult, said prosecutor Mr. Toby Fitzgerald. 

He denies cruelty in relation to one nine year-old girl and told the jury: "She pulled her knickers down and I put her over my knee.

"It was six of the best, not that hard and she did not cry. She was a very precocious child."

Curtis admits he did not approve of her wearing short mini-skirts and that she needed some Christian discipline, but insists the slaps were with her consent.

"She came to me and said she was bruised and I told her that I did not mean that to happen.

"She said she was black and blue. She exaggerated things so much."

Talking in general about the disciplining of children Curtis told the jury: "I believe a smack at the right time and place can be beneficial."

The court heard he ordered one woman to strip naked before putting her over his knee to slap, continuing the beating when she collapsed to the floor - with one of the dozen or so sessions in front of her husband.

Curtis has pleaded not guilty to two sample counts of sexually assaulting her between January 1, 2009 and July 15, 2013 and one count of assault by digital penetration.

He introduced the student nurse to his version of "Christian domestic discipline" - following Bible teachings  of keeping women in their place.

"She trusted him completely as a man of God," said Mr. Fitzgerald, explaining the first disciplining - for untidiness - occurred in the defendant's office at the church.

"She pulled down her trousers and underwear and lay across his lap. He hit her hard about twelve times until she ended up on the floor.

"She'd become, in effect, a rag doll in the defendant's hands."

Subsequent discipline sessions were for "lacking femininity" and having a "frigid spirit," the jury were told.

"The defendant told her to strip completely naked and she lay across his lap and he slapped her. 

"He also smacked her not  only on her bottom, but between her legs for not recognising her femininity."

Curtis also took naked pictures of her on his mobile phone and fondled her between her legs, once inserting a finger, the jury were told.

When arrested he did not deny the spankings, insisting they were consensual.

Another woman was told it was "God's will" she be punished and she agreed to his form of discipline, which took place in another follower's house, next-door to the Chipstead Valley Road church.

"She leaned over a bannister in the hallway and took her trousers and knickers down so he could spank her bare bottom.

"She was told it was important not to tell him when to stop, he would decide when it was time to stop and he continued to beat her forcefully.

"There were twenty to thirty strikes with his bare hand and she felt it was going on forever and was crying. She was black and blue and told all these actions were in God's name."

Curtis has pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault against the woman between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2009.

He also denies one count of child cruelty between March 1, 2007 and February 28, 2008 in relation to the woman's nine year-old daughter.

She was put over his knee and beaten "very hard" until she started crying, explained Mr. Fitzgerald.

A third woman, a 51 year-old mum-of-three, received so-called "healing sessions" from Curtis, who claimed her could help her come to terms with historic sexual abuse.

"She feels she was almost put into a hypnotic trance by the defendant, who quite deliberately preyed on the fact she had been abused to get her to relive it while he performed the acts her abuser did.

"Her reactions was often to scream and try to fight him off, but the defendant said this told him she needed more healing, allowing him to commit more abuse.

"The sessions were so physical and violent her clothes would be ripped and the defendant was so hot and sweaty he'd remove the top half of his clothing."

She was even attacked by Curtis with the help of other worshippers in the family room of a hospital her daughter was being treated at for a life-threatening illness.

"The defendant pinned her down to the bed and got on top of her while holding the Bible.

"Others had gone up there, supposedly to pray, and they assisted in pinning her down.

"The angrier she got the more the defendant said it was the evil spirit coming out."

Curtis denies two counts of indecently assaulting her between August 1, 1991 and April 1, 1996.

He also denies two counts of child cruelty between January 29, 2004 and January 28, 2006 in relation to a young boy, aged approximately eight years-old he spanked "very hard" up to five times.

Curtis has also pleaded not guilty to causing actual bodily harm to a thirteen year-old girl he spanked a dozen times with a slipper for disobedience until she was "black and blue" some time between January 4, 1969 and January 3, 1971.

He denies another child cruelty charge relating to a worshipper's baby, whose bottom he is accused of pinching, some time between January 1, 1986 and January 3, 1989.

Curtis was ordained in 1988 under the umbrella of the Elim Pentecostal church.

"He presented himself as an inspirational man of God," said Mr. Fitzgerald. "The Crown say the church was run for this defendant and he cloaked himself in the trappings of a religious leader.

"In reality he was nothing of the sort. He deceived his congregation, including children.

"He said he was going to cast out evil spirits from people and that discipline had to be administered by striking bare flesh with the bare hand."

Trial continues………….