Disgraced priest who led 'cult' Nine O'Clock Service convicted of rape and sexually assaulting young women who attended his church

A sex predator priest who led a 'cult' church service featuring scantily clad women and strobe lighting has been found guilty of rape and attacking members of his congregation.Chris Brain, 69, was convicted by jurors of one count of rape and four counts of sexual assault relating to three women who attended his Nine O'Clock Service (NOS) in Sheffield in the 1980s and 1990s.Brain used his leadership position in NOS to molest women, including when ordering them to give him massages at his home.His victims described how they felt 'pressurised' into doing what Brain told them because he was revered as 'the mouthpiece of God'.Another associate compared Brain with 'Jimmy Savile at the BBC' because NOS's popularity with young people made him the Church of England's 'golden boy'.Brain denied all allegations and said either the sexual acts were consensual or that they did not happen.He is now facing jail having already been convicted of 17 counts of indecent assault on nine women.Her Honour Judge Freya Newbery will sentence Brain at a later date. Chris Brain has been on trial at Inner London Crown Court accused of sexual offences including rape, having already been convicted of a string of attacks on womenProsecutor Tim Clark KC described how the movement held 'vibrant' services, including live bands and light shows, but became a cult dominated by Brain.The priest even persuaded some of his congregation – often young, attractive women wearing lingerie or revealing clothing – to join his 'homebase' team and effectively 'look after' his needs.This included catering to his wife, Lynn, and their baby daughter.But he said members of his close circle were often forced to give up their wages to the 'common purse', while two young newlyweds were even persuaded to sell their house and donate the proceeds to the cause.Others repeatedly spoke of being cut off from their family and friends at Brain's behest.Mr Clark told jurors: 'NOS presented itself as a progressive force for good.'In truth, NOS became a closed and controlled group which the defendant dominated.'He (Brain) abused his position first as a leader and later became an ordained priest, and he used that position to sexually assault a staggering number of women from his congregation.' Brain, now 69, pictured in his heyday as the head of the Nine O'Clock Service - a late-night church service compared to a nightclub experienceHe said the Church of England initially viewed NOS as a 'stunning success story'.It appeared 'ground-breaking,' he said, because the high-energy services were 'visually stunning' and were popular with young people, many of whom were scantily dressed, he said.The prosecutor said Brain was 'the central figure in a cult, he decided the rules, he designed the punishments'.Mr Clark said Brain was aware that the women in his close circle 'feared ostracisation more than anything'.Prosecutor Mr Clark said: 'The Crown will submit that the defendant knew, and you can be sure he knew, that all these women did not perform sexual acts with him willingly or consensually.'But rather, were submitting to acts which, but for the situation the defendant had created, would never have happened.'He added: 'Any capacity they (the complainants) had to consent had been removed by the domineering nature of the defendant, by his control over their entire lives and by their absolute terror of being ostracised if they did not submit.'The court heard how some women said they were 'groomed' by Brain, and that 'no-one was able to stand up to' him. None of the women can be identified for legal reasons. Another complainant said that Brain was a 'man of God' whom she could not question, and that she was 'terrified' of him.One woman described how she was 'absolutely terrified' when Brain forced her to strip naked while she massaged him and he fondled her breasts. Brain was married at the time.Giving evidence from behind a screen, the woman told jurors at his trial: 'I don't feel I had the choice (to say no).'My brain was frozen, he (Brain) was telling me how to think, he used God to, I suppose, mess with my mind.'Because everyone else around me was telling me how wonderful he was, he was the mouthpiece of God, what he was doing was in my best interests.'Asked to reflect on her overriding experiences with Brain, she said: 'If I could turn the clock back and never have met the guy, I would want that.'Because my response to what's happened to me, my experience being on the receiving end of a man like Chris Brain is I would never like it to happen to anybody.'I was treated appallingly. It was only because I've got a very strong mind that I didn't buckle under, really.'At his ordination in 1991, large sums of money were spent on robes for Brain to wear which had been worn by actor Robert De Niro in 1986 film The Mission, the court heard.The prosecutor said that Brain was confronted by members of the church in the 1990s and told it was believed he had abused up to 40 women.But Brain replied: 'I thought it was more.'Brain told jurors he might have been a 'hypocrite' but denied sexually abusing women.He also denied NOS was a cult, with him as its leader.