Former Church of England priest Chris Brain has been found guilty of rape and several indecent assaults involving women linked to Sheffield’s Nine O’Clock Service, according to reports published Friday.
The 69-year-old was convicted after a retrial at Inner London Crown Court, the BBC reported. He was also found guilty of four additional indecent assault charges involving three women. These convictions come on top of 17 indecent assault convictions involving nine women from a previous trial last year.
Prosecutors said Brain exploited his authority as a priest to sexually abuse a large number of women within his congregation. The Nine O’Clock Service, or NOS, drew hundreds of young people to St Thomas’s Church through its nightclub-style worship services.
The service was originally held at St Thomas’s Church in Crookes before relocating to the larger Ponds Forge venue in Sheffield city centre.
Prosecutor Tim Clark told the court that the group eventually developed into what he described as a “cult,” with members encouraged to distance themselves from relatives and friends. He said this left them heavily dependent on Brain and fearful of being excluded if they challenged him.
Detective Superintendent Eleanor Welsh, the senior investigating officer, described Brain as a sexual predator who had inflicted lasting harm on the women involved following his latest convictions.
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