Latest news with #indecentAssault
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
‘I was the most radical ordained vicar there was': Church of England ‘cult' leader defends ‘sensual' contact with followers
A former priest accused of leading an evangelical cult in the Church of England has defended having 'sensual' contact with followers, telling the jury: 'I was the most radical ordained vicar there was.' Christopher Brain, who led the rave-style Nine O-Clock Service (NOS) in Sheffield in the 80s and 90s, allegedly surrounded himself with women who wore lingerie or revealing clothes as part of his 'homebase team' who kept his house 'spotlessly clean'. Jurors at Inner London Crown Court previously heard the women – sometimes referred to as 'the Lycra Lovelies' or 'the Lycra Nuns' – were on a rota to help maintain the home of then-Reverend Brain. The 68-year-old denies one count of rape and 36 counts of indecent assault relating to 13 women in the church movement between 1981 and 1995. He accepts that he engaged in sexual activity with some of the complainants, but insists that it was consensual. Giving evidence for a second day, he defended the liaisons with members of his congregation when he was married with a young child. He claimed he and his former wife 'were in a pretty much open relationship' and considering splitting up, adding: 'I wasn't a traditional vicar, I was someone on a journey of radical research and experimentation.' The former clergyman, who was fast-tracked for ordination in 1991 after the movement attracted hundreds of younger congregants to the Church of England, previously told the court said he received 'sensual' back massages from women to relieve tension headaches. He claims he resigned from NOS to carry on his work in San Francisco in 1993, two years before the Sheffield church collapsed surrounded by controversy in 1995. Challenged over his contact with congregants on Tuesday, he replied: 'In a traditional setting I don't know. But if you are in a polyamorous community at the front edge of culture in San Francisco and at the heart of the rave movement, then obviously I thought it was OK.' He told the jury he and one complainant – who alleges he raped her at his home in Sheffield in 1983 or 1984 – engaged in 'petting' on a regular basis. He said he and his then-wife were 'pretty open', but if liaisons progressed to full sex it would be cheating. He admitted to having sex with the woman after it 'went too far', but said it was 'absolutely' consensual. 'We were in the bedroom and it just went too far,' he said. 'We started having sex and shortly after that started we stopped.' He said another woman, who accuses him of multiple counts of sexual assault, was 'totally happy with it'. 'It was a club environment' he added. 'It wasn't like a church house it was like a group of musicians living together.' He insisted sexual aggression is 'not my style' and contested his portrayal as some kind of 'lairy' guy. He alleged the liaisons came after trust had been built up over a long period of time. He added: 'I am not the type of guy to try it on, I never have been. It's not part of my character or my belief system.' He said an accusation he simulated a rape scene with one woman 'absolutely didn't happen' and denied a number of other charges, including an allegation he placed a woman's hand on his genitals. Questioned by his lawyer Iain Simkins KC over his appearance in a 1995 BBC documentary on NOS called Everyman, in which he admitted he was 'involved in improper sexual conduct with a number of women', he told the jury he 'over accepted responsibility' in the programme. 'I think it shows I pretty much over accepted responsibility,' he said. 'I massively accepted the responsibility for the bulk of it. Almost single handedly being blamed for everything that seemed to have gone wrong.' He insisted NOS was never a cult and denied he never engaged in a 'sexual healing practise' with female followers, adding: 'The sexual healing trope that is laid all over this case didn't exist.' He described the criminal charges as a 'witch hunt' and said the breakdown of NOS 'basically destroyed my life' in the 90s. The prosecution allege NOS became a 'closed and controlled' group which he used to 'sexually assault a staggering number of women from his congregation'. The eight-week trial continues.
Irish Times
29-07-2025
- Irish Times
Man in 70s sent forward for trial accused of historical sex offences
A man in his 70s accused of historical sex abuse offences has been served with a book of evidence and sent forward for trial to the Central Criminal Court. The man, who cannot be named due to the nature of the charges, faces 79 allegations relating to the sexual abuse of four girls in Ireland during the 1970s and 1980s. Judge Michele Finan at Dublin District Court granted a return for trial order at the request of State solicitor Rory Staines. He told the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) consented to being sent forward on indictment on the 79 charges in the book of evidence served by Garda Sergeant Amy Kelly. READ MORE They include 78 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape. The offences allegedly occurred at various locations in Co Dublin, including Dún Laoghaire, Killiney, and Blackrock, between 1971 and 1981. At the time, the girls were minors aged between eight and 15. The man was extradited from the US last week. Judge Finan notified the man that he must inform the prosecution within 14 days if he intends to use an alibi in his trial. She also ordered investigating gardaí to provide copies of interview videos to the defence and told the accused that his lawyer would explain it to him later. The man, who has not yet entered a plea, was remanded in continuing custody pending trial with no bail application made. Legal aid has been granted, with the defence stating that he is not working and has no assets. The judge noted that there was no Garda objection, and she agreed to a request by his solicitor, Tracy Horan, that it would include senior and junior counsel representation. The date for his next hearing before the Central Criminal Court has yet to be set but will be held the next legal term, commencing in October. Dressed in a grey tracksuit and black runners, the man sat silently in a wheelchair and spoke only to consult his solicitor, who asked that he get dental attention in custody because he still had no dentures and 'is not able to eat solid foods'. Following extradition proceedings at the request of the Irish authorities, he was arrested at Terminal 2, Dublin Airport on the morning of July 22nd. Gardaí charged him at the instruction of the DPP. He faces 41 counts of indecent assault and one for attempted rape of one of the complainants, 34 counts of indecent assault of another female, two counts of indecent assault of another complainant, and one charge of indecent assault of the fourth. The offences are contrary to Common Law. At his first hearing, a few hours after his arrest, the defence solicitor had informed the judge that her client required medical assistance in custody because he had no dentures or hearing aid, as they had not been brought over from the United States. The judge had noted this information and agreed to add that he should urgently get dentures and a hearing aid in custody. When the proceedings resumed on Tuesday, she heard that the man still had no dentures and recommended that he get the appropriate treatment.
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Pair of former police officers appear in court over 'rape and indecent assault' of underage girl
Two former police officers appeared before a court charged with the alleged rape and indecent assault of an underage girl. It is alleged ex PC Ian Hopkinson, 63, and former Sergeant William Baker, 78, to have committed the crimes between 1992 and 1995 while serving in West Yorkshire Police 's mounted horse section in Pontefract. Mr Hopkinson, of Redcar, North Yorkshire, is charged with five counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 16 years. He has also been charged with five counts of rape of a female under 16 years. Meanwhile, Mr Baker, of Hayle, Cornwall, is charged with three counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 16 years and two counts of rape of a female under 16 years. The court heard Mr Baker had been in the force for 27 years. They were remanded by Judge Kitson at Leeds Magistrates Court on Wednesday to appear before the city's crown court. They were charged after a woman came forward in 2023 and reported the alleged incidents of serious sexual offences. After a police investigation was launched, both men were arrested in June 2024. A 74-year-old man, who was also a West Yorkshire Police officer at the time of the reported offences, was also arrested in June 2024 as part of this investigation. He has since died, and there was no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death. Both men were released on conditional bail. They were told to have no contact with the alleged victim and no unsupervised contact with a child under the age of 18. Baker and Hopkinson were also prohibited from contacting each other. Mr Hopkinson and Mr Baker will both appear at Leeds Crown Court on June 4.
