Former Priest Convicted Sexual Assault Nine Women in Cult

Christopher Brain, a former priest and leader of the evangelical Nine O'Clock Service (NOS) in Sheffield, has been found guilty of 17 counts of indecent assault against nine women, with the jury still deliberating on additional charges including rape. Brain led the NOS from 1986 to 1995, a movement that used rave music and club culture to attract young people but evolved into a cult-like group where he abused his authority to control and isolate female followers. He established a "homebase team" of women, known as "the Lycra Lovelies" or "the Lycra Nuns," who were made to wear revealing clothing and tended to his personal needs, including giving him massages that sometimes involved inappropriate touching. Prosecutors described Brain's actions as grooming and coercive control, with some followers giving up inheritances and homes to the group. Brain denied non-consensual abuse, claiming any sexual contact was consensual and downplaying the severity of his behavior. The case revealed the damaging impact of Brain's leadership on his victims and highlighted the misuse of religious authority within the Church of England's NOS movement.