A former priest who led a church 'cult' and abused his power to sexually assault young and vulnerable women in his Sheffield congregation has been convicted of multiple offences following a South Yorkshire Police investigation.
Christopher Brain created a highly controlling and domineering environment within the Nine O'Clock Service (NOS) in the 1980s and 1990s, leading victims to feel they had no choice but to submit to his sexual demands.
Following a trial at Inner London Crown Court, Brain, aged 68, of Park Road, Wilmslow, Cheshire, was found guilty by a jury of 17 counts of indecent assault against nine women on Wednesday 20 August. He was cleared of a further 15 counts of the same offence.
On Thursday 21 August, the jury indicated it was unable to reach a verdict on four further counts of indecent assault and one count of rape. The jury was subsequently discharged.
Brain's convictions follow an extensive police investigation which we launched in 2019 following a referral.
A spokesperson for by South Yorkshire Police said "Thanks to all the courageous women who made reports, a dedicated team of officers was able to begin building the case against Brain and establishing the full picture of his offending."
The NOS was an Evangelical movement which was active in Sheffield in the 1980s up to the mid-1990s. It attracted a young congregation through its use of live music and nightclub-style multimedia effects.
It was initially held at St Thomas's Church in Crookes, before later moving to a larger venue in Ponds Forge in the city centre.
The court heard that Brain, who was an ordained Church of England priest, created a 'cult' and 'brainwashed' his victims into believing that he was a 'mouthpiece of God'.
The victims thought if they didn't carry out the sexual acts he demanded, they would be failing as Christians.
It was only after the NOS ended, and for some many years later, that the women Brain preyed upon realised they had been groomed and sexually abused.
Detective Superintendent Eleanor Welsh, Senior Investigating Officer, said: "I'd firstly like to put on record my gratitude towards all of the courageous women who made reports and put their trust and support behind our investigation. These women have waited three or four decades for these verdicts and bravely relived their ordeals in a bid to secure justice.
"Brain is a devious and arrogant sexual predator who caused these women significant harm through his abuse of power and cruel manipulation of their faith.
"While I am pleased with the guilty verdicts, I know for the victims it can never take away what Brain did to them. However, I hope that it brings some comfort to know they have had a voice, they have been heard, and the jury has accepted that Brain is a serial sex offender.
"I also hope today's verdicts show others who may have suffered sexual abuse that it's never too late to come forward and report to us, even if the offences occurred many years ago. We will listen to you and there is support available to you throughout the process."
Following the trial, the Bishop of Sheffield, Pete Wilcox, said "The Inner London Crown Court has returned verdicts finding Chris Brain guilty of 17 charges and not guilty of 15 others. The jury could make no further finding on a further four counts of indecent assault and one count of rape. All of the charges related to former members of the Nine O'Clock Service (NOS) in Sheffield, with incidents taking place between 1981 and 1995.
"As Bishop of Sheffield, I want to speak directly to the survivors, their families and friends, and to everyone affected by these events. I am deeply sorry for the harm you have suffered. I recognise that a mixed verdict can be profoundly painful: for some it may bring a measure of justice and relief, and for others it will feel incomplete, confusing, or retraumatising. Those reactions are understandable and I am truly sorry for the continued hurt this brings.
"What happened was an appalling abuse of power and leadership that should never have occurred. Where concerns were raised in the past and were not acted upon properly, that was a failing of the Church. For those institutional failures I offer an unreserved apology.
"We are committed to supporting those affected. The Diocese will continue to cooperate fully with the police and any other authorities."
Brain will be sentenced on a date to be set.
A woman previously arrested in connection to the case was released with no further action.
