Former priest Chris Brain has been convicted of rape and multiple indecent assaults after leading the youth movement Nine O'Clock Service (NOS) in Sheffield. Jurors heard that young women who lived unpaid in Brain's household were pressured into sexual acts and feared spiritual or social exclusion if they refused. NOS, which once drew hundreds with its rave-influenced services, collapsed in 1995 amid warnings it had become "cult-like." The Diocese of Sheffield has launched an independent safeguarding review following the convictions.
‘Cult-Like’ Church Leader Chris Brain Convicted Of Rape And Multiple Indecent Assaults
Chris Brain led the Nine O'Clock Service from 1984 to 1995 [BBC/Jon Jones/Nine O'Clock Trust]
Former Church of England priest Chris Brain has been found guilty of rape and multiple counts of indecent assault after years of allegations about his conduct while leading the youth movement Nine O'Clock Service (NOS) in Sheffield.
Jurors at Inner London Crown Court heard that young women who formed part of Brain's unpaid household — known as the "homebase" team — were given written instructions to "do anything" the priest asked. The roster of duties, which ran 24 hours a day, included cooking, cleaning, childcare and other domestic chores intended to free Brain to lead NOS, a late-evening congregation that fused rave-style music, multimedia and liturgy and drew hundreds of young worshippers in the 1980s and 1990s.
Allegations of Grooming and Coercion
Prosecutors described how Brain routinely summoned women to his attic bedroom and expected them to "put him to bed" — a euphemism, jurors were told, for sensual massages and sexual contact. Witnesses said he would sometimes be partially undressed and demand kissing and sexual touching. Many women testified that refusal felt impossible: they feared ostracism from the community or spiritual condemnation.
"By displeasing Brain, you were displeasing God," one witness told the court.
Several former NOS members described being "groomed" by Brain, who would pick women up in his car in an outreach method members called "Chris-napping." On some occasions he is said to have physically touched women and pressured them to comply; on others he allegedly used spiritual authority and financial control to keep followers dependent.
NOS outgrew St Thomas's, and in the early 1990s moved to Ponds Forge (pictured above in 1998) [BBC]
Rise And Fall Of The Nine O'Clock Service
NOS began in the early 1980s when Brain and a small group of musicians and friends brought an experimental late-night service to St Thomas's Church in Crookes. Combining electronic-influenced music, video, dance and direct engagement with youth culture, NOS rapidly expanded, drawing as many as 600 people and eventually moving to larger venues such as Ponds Forge.
The movement relied on a large volunteer crew and a devoted core of followers who were encouraged to live simply and to give financially to the community — many donated substantial sums, and some handed over inheritances or property. Meanwhile, jurors heard, Brain enjoyed material advantages: a modern car, designer clothing and a donated farmhouse for his family.
Church Response And Inquiry
Concerns about Brain's behaviour surfaced in the early 1990s. The archdeacon of Sheffield at the time, Stephen Lowe, later told the court he confronted Brain after a former member reported sexual abuse and warned NOS had acquired "cult-like" traits. The Church arranged a psychiatric assessment, and Brain resigned shortly before a 1995 BBC documentary in which he admitted to "improper sexual conduct with a number of women." NOS collapsed soon after the scandal broke.
After years out of the public eye — during which Brain changed his name and ran a design business in Cheshire — former NOS members contacted South Yorkshire Police in 2021. Subsequent prosecutions led to earlier convictions and the recent retrial that produced the additional guilty verdicts.
Chris Brain is due to be sentenced soon [South Yorkshire Police]
Victims' Testimony And Legal Outcome
At trial, several women described long-term psychological, financial and spiritual harm. One witness said she had been raped in the early 1980s and felt "brainwashed" and dependent on Brain. Another had been assaulted while traumatised after helping to recover bodies from the Hillsborough disaster.
On Friday, a jury found the 69-year-old guilty of raping one woman and of four counts of indecent assault against three other women; he had previously been convicted of 17 indecent assaults in August 2025, and the retrial addressed counts on which jurors had previously failed to reach verdicts. Brain will be sentenced later this year and has been told he faces a custodial term.
Aftermath And Safeguarding Review
Following the convictions, the Diocese of Sheffield announced an independent safeguarding review to examine institutional failures. The diocese's bishop described the abuse as "an appalling abuse of power and leadership that should never have occurred." The review aims to learn lessons about oversight, accountability and how concerns were handled decades earlier.
This case highlights how charismatic leadership, financial dependency and the isolation of vulnerable followers can create opportunities for abuse — and the importance of timely safeguarding, transparent oversight and support for survivors seeking justice.
Help us improve.
