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27
Aug
Ex-priest from Harrogate who ran church ‘cult’ convicted of 17 sex offences
A former priest, originally from Harrogate, has been found guilty of a catalogue of sex offences.
Christopher Brain, of Park Road in Wilmslow, Cheshire, was convicted of 17 counts of indecent assault against nine women on August 20 following a trial at Inner London Crown Court.
He was cleared of 15 counts of the same offence.
Brain, who is believed to have gone to school in Harrogate, abused his power as a Church of England priest and leader of the notorious Nine O’Clock Service to sexually assault young women.
The Nine O’Clock Service (NOS), an Evangelical movement led by Brain in the 1980s and 90s, attracted national and international attention.
It was known for its nightclub-style services, which included live music and visual effects, to draw in a younger congregation.
It became so well-known Brain was fast-tracked to becoming an ordained priest in 1991.
But Brain, now 68, used the service to create a “cult” and brainwashed his victims into believing he was a mouthpiece of God, the trial was told.
The victims believed if they did not carry out the sexual acts Brain demanded, they would be failing as Christians.
South Yorkshire Police arrested Brain in April 2021 after an investigation was launched in 2019.
The force said it spoke to “hundreds of people, with most bringing different names and lines of enquiry into the investigation”.
Following the verdict, detective superintendent Eleanor Welsh, senior investigating officer at South Yorkshire Police, 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.
The jury was discharged on August 21 after failing to reach a verdict on a further four counts of indecent assault and one count of rape.
Brain will be sentenced on a date yet to be fixed.
Bishop of Sheffield: ‘I offer an unreserved apology’
The Church of England issued a statement following Brain’s conviction.
Pete Wilcox, the Bishop of Sheffield, acknowledged concerns raised over Brain’s conduct in the past, which were not acted on at the time.
He said:
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.
The Rt Revd Wilcox pledged to support anyone affected by the case, along with the Diocese of Sheffield, and encouraged people to contact the diocese’s safeguarding services.
However, he also announced an independent review into the diocese’s safeguarding provisions will be carried out:
As part of our ongoing learning, I will commission an independent Safeguarding Practice Review (SPR). The detail and scope of this will be decided in the Autumn, but will examine our safeguarding responses, culture, and processes so that we can identify where lessons can be learned and strengthen best practice for the future.
Words will never undo the harm that has been caused. We will, however, continue to work to ensure the Church is a safe place for everyone - where concerns are taken seriously, where survivors are believed and supported, and where accountability and compassion guide our actions.
My prayers remain with the survivors, their families, and all who have been affected by these events.
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