A life coach boss was branded ‘disgraceful’ yesterday for illegally naming a child sex abuse victim on social media after she accused him of bullying.
A life coach boss was branded ‘disgraceful’ yesterday for illegally naming a child sex abuse victim on social media after she accused him of bullying.
Paul Waugh also made public deeply private details of the woman’s childhood trauma which she had revealed in confidential mentoring sessions.
In videos posted on YouTube, Mr Waugh, who runs Lighthouse International Group, called the woman’s behaviour ‘narcissistic’ and ‘toxic’ and even identified the country she is living in, after she had told how she had to move abroad to escape his group.
The films were also posted on the Lighthouse website and widely shared by senior members of the group on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn for almost 24 hours, until being removed after a legal complaint.
Publishing information which identifies a victim of a sexual offence without their written consent is a criminal offence under the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992.
Mr Waugh’s actions came after the Daily Mail revealed how he had bombarded the woman with ‘terrifying’ verbal abuse when she raised concerns about Lighthouse while still a member.
In his series of YouTube tirades posted after our exposé ran, Mr Waugh also repeatedly threatened to take action against other ex-Lighthouse members who had alleged the group abused, exploited and fleeced vulnerable victims.
He warned them: ‘We’re coming for you.’
Father-of-two Mr Waugh, who lives in a £2 million country estate and claims to be ‘very connected’ in government, charges up to £100 an hour for Lighthouse coaching, mentoring and counselling sessions, which use a mix of self-help and spirituality.
The former Lighthouse member who was abused as a child described Mr Waugh as ‘disgraceful’ for revealing her name and ‘deeply private’ details she had given in confidence.
She said: ‘These people are bullies and needed to be exposed to save others from what is wholly unacceptable, horrendous treatment that I would not want anyone else to experience.’
In a 52-minute video response to the Mail on YouTube, Mr Waugh said he had made an ‘error’ in naming the woman, had not understood the concept of ‘personal consent’ and had immediately removed the post when it was brought to his attention.
