Former Shropshire journalist turned author pens book exposing a dangerous cult
A former Shropshire journalist has penned a book telling the true story of a teenager groomed by the leader of a Doomsday cult in Australia.
Megan Norris, who emigrated to Australia from Shrewsbury, has spent years investigating the life of William Kamm, who has received two jail sentences, and interviewing his teenage bride, Stephanie.
She said she wanted to lift the lid on the world of the false profit.
The Messiah's bride, published by Penguin, is the story of Stephanie who in1993, aged 13, was dragged into the sordid cult.
Stefanie's devout German family belonged to the cult led by self-proclaimed Australian prophet William Kamm, then 44.
He was building a new promised land for his followers deep in the bush on the New South Wales south coast.
He told her God's divine plans involved the schoolgirl becoming his child bride.
Stefanie would be one of Kamm's 84 'mystical spouses,' chosen to immaculately conceive his Holy Seed, and bring forth a new race of people at the end of the world.
He was already "married" to 19-year-old sister.
Stefanie was 14 when Kamm had sex with her.
Their illicit sexual relationship continued for the next five years and ended in 1999 when Stefanie, then 19, gave birth to his son who Kamm announced had been born through an immaculate conception.
It's believed Kamm sired as many as 20 babies in his cult.
In 2002 Stefanie finally fled the community with her son.
When she went to the police Kamm was two years into an earlier five year jail sentence for his sex crimes involving the other underage girl.
Judge Peter Berman, extended his sentence by another five and a half years, to begin in 2009 when his original sentence expired.
"He's never apologised for what he did to me, and is as dangerous now as the day I met him," she says in The Messiah's Bride.
Megan, who was a reporter with the Shropshire Star, said: " I’ve covered this case for years, and have spent years researching, helping Stefanie the girl I have written about to get her court restriction lifted so she can be identified and so she can finally tell the world her story."
The author has been appearing on television and radio stations across Australia to talk about the book.
