Priest faces rape and 33 other sex assault charges
THE head of a controversial Christian movement appeared in court yesterday charged with rape and dozens of indecent assault offences against women in his congregation.
Reverend Christopher Brain led the evangelical Nine O’Clock Service, which in its heyday attracted hundreds of young people to services likened to nightclub scenes.
Brain, 66, is said to have sexually assaulted 11 women over the age of 16. The 34 alleged offences span the years between 1981 and 1995. Some of the charges relate to single incidents and others to ‘multiple offences’. They include allegations of kissing and intimate touching. The solitary rape offence allegedly happened in Sheffield around 40 years ago.
Brain, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, was charged with one rape and 33 counts of indecent assault and appeared before Sheffield Magistrates’ Court. He wore a mask to walk in and out of court and, during the four-minute hearing, spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address.
District Judge Marcus Waite told him the charges were too serious to be dealt with by magistrates and sent the case to Sheffield Crown Court, where he will appear on April 15.
Brain was released on unconditional bail.
At its peak, his ‘ rave- style’ church attracted wide publicity. Bikini- clad dancers cavorted on stage with strobe lighting and dance music for bizarre, evangelical-style services that were held on Sundays at 9pm from 1986 to 1995. It pulled in crowds of young peo
‘Services likened to nightclubs’
ple when many traditional churches had empty pews. Church leaders, including George Carey, the future Archbishop of Canterbury, saw it as a revolutionary way to attract a new generation of worshippers to the Church of England.
However, the movement was shut down in 1995 after a number of complaints from women in the group began to surface.
South Yorkshire Police said the charges related ‘to women who had joined the movement’.