Self-styled man of God was evil sex abuser and multiple rapist Pastor preyed on children and adults in congregation for years
AN EVANGELICAL pastor who used his trusted position to abuse children and adults for 20 years has been convicted of multiple rapes of members of his congregation.
Self-styled prophet Michael Oluronbi, originally from Nigeria, was found guilty of the offences against six women and a man, five of whom attended his church.
Some of his offences were carried out after he convinced victims to take part in “spiritual bathing”, which he claimed would cleanse them of evil spirits.
During the trial, a jury heard that some of his young female victims became pregnant multiple times but were taken to abortion clinics by qualified pharmacist Oluronbi, to cover up what was happening. He was convicted of 15 counts of rape, seven counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault.
The 60-year-old’s wife, Juliana, was convicted of three counts of aiding and abetting rape after helping arrange some of the terminations.
The religious leader was brought to justice after one of his victims, now an adult, came forward.
Jurors heard that Oluronbi was linked to a Christian church in Edgbaston,
Birmingham – the Cherubim and Seraphim Church – whose roots were in Nigeria.
He set up his own splinter group for about 40 adults and children – separate to the church and located at another address – where he began a practice of “spiritual bathing”.
The offences took place in Birmingham and London.
Phil Bradley QC, prosecuting, told the jury: “The Crown’s case is that Mr Oluronbi used what he called ‘spiritual work’ as a subterfuge for that sexual abuse.
“The main tactic he employed was to claim that God had instructed him to administer ‘holy baths’ to some of his congregation in order to ‘cleanse’ them and protect them from evil influences.
“That activity began when his victims were children.
“There can be no doubt that its real purpose was to serve his sexual gratification.”
He added that for some of the female victims the offending “progressed to repeated rapes, on many occasions leading to unwanted pregnancies and terminations”.
“You will learn that this man, who was revered and feared by his victims, kept a vice-like grip on many of them and continued to abuse them well into adulthood,” Mr Bradley said.
Oluronbi’s victims
described