Chris Brain denies allegations, tells court sexual encounters were consensual
A former Church of England priest who led an influential Evangelical movement in Sheffield has been found guilty of sexually assaulting nine women from his congregation.
Chris Brain, the 68-year-old founder of the Nine O’Clock Service (NOS), was convicted on Wednesday of 17 counts of indecent assault following a trial at the Inner London Crown Court.
He was cleared of an additional 15 charges of indecent assault. Another four counts of indecent assault and one count of rape are still being deliberated by the jury.
NOS was founded by Brain in 1986 with the aim of appealing to young people. It blended live music and multimedia, and attracted hundreds of young people in its heyday during the late ’80s and early ’90s. It was eventually wound down in 1995 amid allegations of sexual abuse.
During the trial, the court heard claims that Brain misused his position to prey on vulnerable women in the congregation.
One woman claimed she had been assaulted by Brain after returning from a traumatic night spent helping families to identify victims of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.
Prosecutors alleged during the trial that NOS had become a “cult” and that “a staggering number” of women from the congregation were targeted.
Brain denied all of the allegations, telling the court that any sexual encounters with women in the NOS movement were consensual.
He also denied claims that he had manipulated or bullied church members, describing NOS as “a free, open, really caring, very fun environment.”
Responding to Wednesday’s verdict, the Diocese of Sheffield said: “The jury at Inner London Crown Court today returned verdicts on 32 of the 37 charges against Chris Brain comprising of guilty and not guilty outcomes in respect of the indecent assault charges.
“As the remaining five charges are still being considered by the jury we will comment further when the trial is fully completed.
This article was originally published at Christian Today
