A former Church of England priest who ran a “cult” has been found guilty of rape and indecent assault. Christopher Brain, 69, sexually abused women while leader of the Nine O’Clock Service (NOS), a Sheffield-based evangelical movement that was part of the Church of England, between 1986 and 1995.
Brain, a former member of Christian rock group Present Tense, “abused his position” to sexually abuse women who had joined what prosecutors say was effectively a “cult”.
Verdicts and total convictions
Last August, Brain was convicted by a jury at Inner London Crown Court of 17 counts of indecent assault against nine women. On Friday, a second jury found him guilty of one count of rape and four charges of sexual assault.
The verdicts mean Brain has now been convicted of a total of 22 sexual offences against 13 women. He shook his head slightly and exhaled when the guilty verdict on the rape charge was delivered. He will be remanded in custody to be sentenced at a later date.
The Nine O’Clock Service
The Nine O’Clock Service was founded by Brain at St Thomas’s Church in the Crookes area of Sheffield before moving to the Ponds Forge area in the city centre. It took its name from its regular evangelical services, which featured live music and nightclub-style, rave-inspired light shows.
The court heard that when Brain was ordained as a priest in 1991, he was noted to have a “grandiose self-regard” as he insisted that large sums of money be spent so that he could wear robes that had been worn by actor Robert De Niro in the film The Mission.
Abuse and control
NOS attracted a congregation largely made up of university students and young adults and had about 500 members at its peak. Prosecutor Tim Clark KC said NOS “presented itself to the outside world as a progressive force for good”.
He told the court: “In truth NOS became a closed and controlled group which the defendant dominated. He abused his position first as a leader and then as an ordained priest to sexually assault a staggering number of women from his congregation.”
The court heard Brain exerted control over the lives of the women, ostracising them from friends and family, taking control of their finances and convincing them to compete for his affections. A “homebase team” was set up to “care for” Brain - referred to as “the Lycra Lovelies” or “the Lycra Nuns”. Witnesses reported seeing the defendant surrounded by women in lingerie at his home.
The court heard how Brain groomed the women, touched them during massages and persuaded them to engage in sexual acts while putting him to bed. Brain, who quit as a priest when allegations about his conduct were first raised in 1995, admitted to sexual activity with his followers, but claimed it was all consensual.
Judge Freya Newbury said victims would be given the chance to deliver impact statements at a sentencing hearing that is likely to last two days.
