Latest news with #ChrisBrain
BBC News
6 days ago
- BBC News
Sheffield priest Chris Brain says sex acts were 'consensual'
A former priest accused of sexually assaulting 13 women while he was the head of a church group has said consent was the "grounding of everything".Chris Brain, 68, denies one count of rape and 36 charges of indecent assault, relating to his time with the Nine O'Clock Service (NOS), an influential evangelical church movement in Sheffield in the 1980s and allege he used his position to abuse a "staggering number" of female members, exerting control over their lives and ostracising evidence at Inner London Crown Court, Mr Brain, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, said he had sex with one of the complainants, but said it "just went too far" but insisted it had been consensual. He said the Sheffield-based evangelical movement was a "free, open, really caring, very fun environment" and denied claims he had abused one victim, Mr Brain admitted there had been "petting at a regular basis" but that she had "absolutely" consented to having her breasts touched under her agreed the relationship had gone further but that it was by Iain Simkin KC, defending, if he cared whether the woman he had slept with consented, he replied: "Of course I did".He also told jurors there was "consent at a very serious, deep level" with another woman after they agreed to have a more sexual Brain insisted consent was "absolutely the grounding of everything we were doing". 'Intimacy and trust' NOS, which began in 1986, was initially celebrated by Church of England leaders for its nightclub-style services which incorporated live music and multimedia and attracted hundreds of young people to its Brain said the environment in the NOS was less like a church house and "much more like a group of musicians living together".The defendant said he had built up "intimacy and trust" with church members over a long period of time, but said he was not the "kind of guy to try it on"."It's not part of my character or my belief system."Mr Simkin told the court Mr Brain admitted to having relations with members of his congregation in a BBC documentary in November defendant said he was "in a state of complete overwhelmed trauma" at the time of the admission and had "needed to be really open and accountable for what I had done".He said he had resigned from his priesthood in the same month "because the hassle at the time (and) the press intrusion had pretty much devastated my life".Mr Brain rejected testimonies from people who said he had tried to control people's clothing, weight and relationships."The intensity of what we did tended to draw people in," he Tim Clark KC, cross-examining, put it to Mr Brain that he spoke "psychobabble" to get his own sexual gratification."No," the defendant defendant told jurors he felt he had used his position of trust "to the best effect I could at the time" and denied abusing any trust placed in trial reporting by PA Media. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Telegraph
‘Abuse cult' priest received sexual massages ‘to relieve tension headaches'
A former priest accused of running an abusive cult received sexual massages to relieve 'terrible tension headaches', a court has heard. Chris Brain, 68, led a group in the 1980s and 1990s in Sheffield called the Nine O'Clock Service (NOS), and was viewed by his alleged victims as a God-like 'prophet' whom they 'worshipped'. The evangelical church movement drew crowds of hundreds of young people enticed by its 'visually stunning' multimedia services featuring acid house rave music every Sunday at 9pm. Mr Brain, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, is standing trial accused of committing sexual offences against 13 women. He denies one count of rape and 36 counts of indecent assault between 1981 and 1995. At the opening of the trial in July, Tim Clark KC, prosecuting, told the court that Mr Brain ran 'a cult', surrounded by beautiful, lingerie-wearing women known as the 'Lycra Nuns', or 'Lycra Lovelies'. He said that Mr Brain used his position to abuse a 'staggering number of women'. Many of his victims were part of a 'homebase team' tasked with cooking and cleaning for Mr Brain, as well as 'putting him to bed' and giving him massages, which the court heard would often end in unsolicited groping. Giving evidence at Inner London Crown Court on Monday, Mr Brain said he received back massages from a number of women in NOS. Asked by defence counsel Iain Simkin KC how the massages began, he told the court that 'it started off because I had terrible tension headaches'. He referenced one member of the 'homebase team' who gave him massages once or twice a week 'and she could tell by touching me what the problem was'. Mr Brain gestured to the court, lifting his arms above his head to show where he was in discomfort and why he required massaging. 'It was quite severe, I remember coming home and having to lie on the bed with my face on the pillow because the pain was so bad,' he said. Asked whether there were occasions when the massages would develop into some form of sexual touching, Mr Brain replied: 'With very close friends, it may edge towards that, but both parties knew it shouldn't go there so one of us would pull back again and cool down. 'And we are talking about relationships over years and years… It worked having closeness with friends without having to involve close sexual contact, and of course, I was married.' He added: 'With some of my closest friends it would be kissing sometimes, occasionally massaging, stroking. Anything more than that we would back off.' 'Natural ecstasy' Mr Brain told the court that NOS was 'an evolving experiment' around at the 'peak of the rave boom' and embraced 'club culture' by creating 'a natural ecstasy'. As part of the 'new New Age', he added that there was a very laissez faire environment regarding 'positive sexuality' as well as encouragement of 'tantric celibacy'. 'It was normal to be physical,' he told the court. 'This was the mid-80s early '90s,' he said, adding that leggings and tight clothes were 'the fashion'. Regarding the clothes worn by female NOS members at the time, and asked if he prescribed the dress code for the 'Lycra Lovelies', Mr Brain responded: 'All these people are completely clued-up and want to wear fashion. 'This is the mid-80s, everybody was obsessed with fashion and what they wore, it was a constant topic of conversation, but that does not mean I was obsessed with what people wore.' Mr Simkin asked: 'Looking back, do you accept you were some form of inspirational character?' 'That's my thing, enthusiasm and ideas,' Mr Brain replied. Jurors have previously heard how Mr Brain had his ordination licence 'fast-tracked' in 1991 because Church of England officials viewed his organisation as 'a success story'. NOS evolved from holding services at St Thomas's Church in the Crookes area of the city, before expanding as it grew increasingly popular to a larger premises at Ponds Forge in the city centre. It collapsed in 1995 amid accusations of a sex scandal. Over the past five weeks, his alleged victims have given evidence describing NOS as full of 'brainwashing', 'grooming', 'mind games' and abuse. They claimed he told them that they 'can't be spiritual without being sexual'. The trial continues.
Times
04-08-2025
- Times
‘Rave church' leader had late-night massages with female followers
A former Anglican priest accused of sexually assaulting 'a staggering number of women' told a court how he had late night massages as a way of enjoying closeness with female followers. Chris Brain, 68, who led the radical Nine O'Clock Service (NOS) in Sheffield in the 1980s and 1990s, told Inner London crown court the movement was a radical experiment in religion which embraced the club culture of the time. He was asked by his defence counsel, Iain Simkin KC, 'why on earth' as a married Church of England minister he was having repeated massages from a group of women. Brain replied: 'Why not?' NOS was widely admired by Church of England leaders who saw it as a successful way of attracting younger congregations to religion. They were so impressed that Brain's ordination as a priest was fast-tracked. At the height of its success, Brain said NOS had ambitious plans to expand its rave-style services to California, won financial backing from Dame Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, and was expecting support from Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. But the movement collapsed in 1995 amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Almost three decades later, former NOS members made complaints to police, leading to an investigation and criminal charges. Brain, 68, denies one count of rape and 36 charges of indecent assault involving 13 women who were members of NOS. The prosecution alleges the women were unable to freely consent to repeated sexual contact with Brain because he was a domineering figure who ran NOS as a cult. The women feared that if they rejected Brain, they would be ostracised. Brain denied that he was a 'controlling maniac' who exercised huge power over the lives of NOS members including their finances, their marriages and their working lives. While he was leading NOS, Brain had the support of a 'homebase team' of young women who looked after him, his wife, their baby daughter and the family dog. The women were referred to as 'the Lycra lovelies' because they wore tight black clothing and lingerie while doing their duties. Brain said he did not tell the women what to wear. 'At that time in the late Eighties everybody was obsessed with fashion and what to wear,' he said. 'I wasn't prescribing what to wear, it was completely normal for that era and that place'. He said some team members gave him massages late at night but this was not part of their duties. The practice developed because he suffered tension headaches but Brain conceded the contact often became sexual. Brain said he was 'celebrating sexuality' and exploring ideas from kundalini yoga of using 'sexual energy to enhance the whole of life'. Asked how often the massages became sexual, Brain said: 'Very, very rarely, with very close friends it might edge towards that, but both parties knew it shouldn't go there so one of us would pull back again and cool down. 'It worked, having closeness with friends. It was a great way to get close to friends whilst not involving direct sexual contact. And of course, I was married.' He added: 'This was the peak of the rave boom, it was club culture and we were holding onto that as much as we could. It was a very touchy environment.' The NOS movement had emerged from a Christian rock band, Tense, which was part of the Sheffield music scene. Brain said the members of the band formed a fellowship group because they felt alienated from the traditional Anglican congregation, which was more 'like a fancy golf club'. The trial continues.
Sky News
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Chris Brain: Leader of 'cult-like' Nine O'Clock Service denies brainwashing members to satisfy sexual desires
A former priest who led a rave-inspired church group has told a court he had massages from women in his congregation which would "very rarely" lead to sexual contact. Prosecutors say Chris Brain, 68, abused his position as the head of the "cult-like" Nine O'Clock Service (NOS) - named because services were held at 9pm on Sundays - in the 1980s and 1990s to sexually assault a "staggering number of women". Inner London Crown Court has heard the services in Sheffield, which were aimed at 18 to 30-year-olds and shaped by club culture, featuring multimedia, scantily dressed women and a live band, attracted up to 600 people at their peak. Jurors have been told Brain's Church of England ordination was "fast tracked" in 1991, and he wore the same cassock worn by actor Robert De Niro in the movie "The Mission" at the ceremony. Prosecutors say a "homebase" team of "attractive women", wearing lingerie or other revealing clothing, known as "the Lycra Lovelies" or "the Lycra Nuns", was set up to look after Brain, his wife and his daughter at their home. Brain from Wilmslow, in Cheshire, is standing trial accused of committing sexual offences against 13 women. He denies one count of rape and 36 counts of indecent assault between 1981 and 1995. Giving evidence for the first time on Monday, he said he borrowed Robert De Niro's cassock from the film studio because NOS "loathed" the traditional church clothing and denied wearing it because he was "an egomaniac" who wanted to "demonstrate power and control". He said the clothes worn by his homebase team were "completely normal" for that era, comparing outfits to those worn by Soul II Soul, although Judge Freya Newbery pointed out the British pop group didn't dress like that to do a "cleaning job". Brain admitted receiving back massages from some NOS members, which he said started as a way to relieve tension headaches, and asked why he did that when he had a wife and child, he replied: "Why not?" When asked by his barrister, Iain Simkin KC, if the massages ever led to sexual activity, he said: "Very rarely, with very close friends it might edge towards that but both parties knew it shouldn't go there so one of us would pull back and cool down." Brain added: "With some of my closest friends it would be kissing sometimes, occasionally massaging, stroking. Anything more than that we would back off." He told the jury any touching was done with "100%" consent and he would've "instantly stopped" if anyone had indicated they were uncomfortable. Brain admitted his leadership style was at times "overly direct" but denied dressing members down in public, humiliating them, or making them feel small as a method of control. His barrister Iain Simkin KC asked: "Did you exert undue pressure on any member of NOS?" "No," Brain replied. Mr Simkin continued? "Did you bring people close and ostracise them as a method of control? "Did you brainwash them? "Did you turn them into robots in order to allow you to manipulate them for your own sexual desires?" Brain answered "no" to all of the questions. The court has heard some members contributed large sums of money or gave up their inheritances or homes to NOS. But Brain denied "fleecing people" for his own "extravagant lifestyle", saying he did not dress in "designer gear" and wasn't motivated by money. He told the jury members worked ordinary jobs and were free to leave if they wanted. The court has heard Brain resigned from holy orders after allegations first emerged in the mid-1990s.
BBC News
04-08-2025
- BBC News
Sheffield priest Chris Brain denies making church members "obey"
A former priest accused of abusing his role as the head of a cult church group to sexually assault 13 women has said he led "on consensus" and denied Brain, 68, is accused of committing 37 sexual offences during his time with the Nine O'Clock Service (NOS), an influential evangelical church movement in Sheffield in the 1980s and allege he used his position to abuse a "staggering number" of women followers, exerting control over their lives and ostracising them from friends and Brain of Wilmslow in Cheshire, denies one count of rape and 36 counts of indecent assault between 1981 and 1995. Giving evidence on Monday, Mr Brain denied claims he controlled members of the congregation or forced them to sever ties with their friends and told jurors at Inner London Crown Court he could sometimes be "overbearing" but that was just his "direct Yorkshire style".He also said he was "not often at the front of the congregation" and was one of several leaders in the said he had more of a "producer" role, choosing the music, songs and lighting for by his barrister Iain Simkin KC, if he had tried to start a cult he said had not, adding that those involved were "completely anti-cult". 'Not money-orientated' The court has previously heard that some of Mr Brain's alleged victims told police they felt they had been "brainwashed" and "groomed" by Simkin asked the defendant if he made members "obey" or if he turned them into "robots" for his "sexual desires", Mr Brain denied if members could work, the defendant said: "Yes of course. Some of them had normal jobs."Questioned about his leadership style, he said: "I think most of the time I worked on consensus, at the time that's what I thought was most considerate, making sure you take everybody with you."Mr Brain also denied having an extravagant lifestyle wearing clothes that "everybody else wore" and said he was "not money-orientated".Mr Simkin asked the defendant if he "fleeced" others to pay for his lifestyle, and the defendant replied: "No."NOS was initially celebrated by Church of England leaders for its nightclub-style services which incorporated live music and multimedia and attracted hundreds of young people to its trial continues. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
