A priest once greeted for his 'pioneering' services the leader of a cult in the church of England and sexually abused a 'amazing' number of women, a court heard.
Christopher Brain, who led the Progressive Nine O-Clock service (NOS) in Sheffield in the 80s and 90s, surrounded himself with women who wore lingerie or unveiled clothing as part of his “homebase team”, jury members of Inner London Crown Court were told.
The court heard that the women's soms referred to as “the Lycra Lovelies” or “The Lycra Nuns” were-on a rota to help the then brain in bed, and this included performing sexual favors, a bishop was told by a whistleblower in 1995.
When Mr. Brain was confronted with the claims that he had abused up to 40 women, he replied: “I thought it was more,” the court heard. He resigned from holy orders in November of that year.
On Tuesday, a purple shirt appears in the dock and Mr. Brain is accused of one count of rape and 36 counts of indecent attack with regard to 13 women between 1981 and 1995.
Tim Clark KC opened the prosecutor's business and said that the Church of England initially considered a success story and Mr. Brain was quickly followed for consecration.
“In reality, NOS became a closed and controlled group that first dominated the suspect's position as a leader and then as a consecrated priest to attack a stunning number of women sexually from his congregation,” he told the jury.
Christopher Brain (left) 'abused his position' as a priest to abuse women, the persecution claims (Elizabeth Cook/PA)
Clark said that NOS became a cult in which members, who were examined and organized in 'Discipleship' groups, were isolated from their friends and families.
“Members of NOS were completely dependent on NOS and desperately looking for the attention and praise of the suspect,” he added. “They were encouraged to give up their time, finances and, ultimately, their feeling of self -feeling to this organization and its leader.”
Mr. Brain became involved in the St Thomas' Church in Sheffield for the first time because of his Christian rock band today. The 9 p.m. NOS Multimedia Church Services were described as “visually amazing” and live music focused on a younger municipality.
By the time he took saints in December 1991, “signs of grandiose self -respect were already present” and large amounts were spent on finding the robes that were carried in the film by the actor Robert de Niro The mission To bear him at his ordination, Mr. Clark said.
The public prosecutor said that Mr. Brain would “suddenly appear” in the life of female members of NOS, “they often pick up in his car while they walked along”. Women who did not keep the suspect satisfied would alienate themselves from the group, he added.
A female congregant, who believes that she was “brainwashed” by the priest, claims that he invited her to his house while his wife was gone in 1983 or 1984, where he grabbed her and raped her.
“She remembers that she moved her head from left to right and said,” No, “Mr. Clark told the jury.” She said his weight was too big for her to move him from her. She felt she froze. '
Another woman claims that she had to be “available” to “bring him to bed”. On those occasions he would undress and rub her while she massaged him while she only wore her underwear, the court heard.
Mr. Clark said, “She described that she went into a 'robot -like' state and did this, she feared to receive his phone calls.”
Mr. Brain told his alleged victim that he helped her to cure her sexual repression, “the jury heard.
A third woman claims that she would be called to the suspect's address to “help him relax”. She said she had no friends outside of NOS and feared that she would be removed from the organization if she was not obedient.
She described him as “Jekyll and Hyde” character, Mr. Clark said, adding to it: “She feared his anger if she didn't hold, isolation if they did not submit, and he would have installed a belief in her (as an apparent man of God) that she did the right thing.”
The former priest is on trial at Inner London Crown Court (PA)
A further complainant described him as a “predator hid in sight” who would “decrease women that he considered vulnerable”.
She told the police that the home base team consisted of church members who were 'young, feminine and beautiful', the jury was told.
On an occasion he threw her on the floor, pressed her to her and said that she “had to accept that she was the kind of woman who wanted to be raped and that she couldn't be a spiritual person unless she admitted,” said Mr. Clark.
“He continued to pin her until she made this admission,” the public prosecutor added. “She didn't have such views, but she was afraid of him. His violent behavior was suddenly and without warning.”
The former priest appeared in a 1995 documentary and made admission to the filmmaker of sexual contact with a number of female members of NOS, jury members were told.
Mr. Brain, 68, who denies all charges, insists that NOS was not a cult. He accepts that he has done sexual activity with some complainants, but that it was consensual.
The eight -week process continues.
