Chris Brain, once a charismatic figure in the Church of England and the driving force behind Sheffield’s Nine O’Clock Service (NOS), was found guilty on August 20, 2025, of 17 counts of indecent assault against women who were members of the movement he led. The verdict, delivered at Inner London Crown Court, closed a harrowing chapter for the women who, decades ago, were drawn into what prosecutors described as a “cult-like” environment under Brain’s control.
The NOS, which Brain led from 1986 to 1995, was initially celebrated for its innovative approach to worship. It targeted younger people, particularly those between 18 and 30, using rave music, multimedia presentations, and club culture to draw in crowds. At its peak, up to 600 people gathered for Sunday night services, which featured live bands and, notably, “scantily dressed women,” according to The Sun. Brain himself often wore the same cassock as Robert De Niro’s character in the film The Mission—a detail that, with hindsight, seems to encapsulate the group’s blend of spectacle and spirituality.
But behind the progressive façade, prosecutors said, Brain abused his position to prey on vulnerable women. The court heard that he assembled a “homebase” team of young women—variously dubbed the “Lycra Lovelies” or “Lycra Nuns”—who were required to wear lingerie or revealing clothing and tend to his needs at his Sheffield home. One former member described Brain as “a predator hiding in plain sight,” while another said she was “trapped” in a controlling relationship after joining NOS in the late 1980s, according to BBC and The Sun.
Prosecutor Tim Clark KC told jurors, “In truth, NOS became a closed and controlled group which the defendant dominated and abused his position first as the leader and then as an ordained priest to sexually assault a staggering number of women from his congregation.” The prosecution alleged that Brain urged members to cut ties with friends and family, making them dependent on him and fearful of ostracization—an atmosphere that, Clark argued, stripped the women of their ability to consent. “Any capacity they had to consent had been removed by the domineering nature of the defendant, by his control over their entire lives and by their absolute terror of being ostracised and that’s what he intended,” Clark said, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The allegations against Brain were wide-ranging. Several women recounted being groomed, manipulated, and subjected to unwanted sexual contact, sometimes under the guise of massages. One complainant, whose top was removed by Brain while she was visibly upset, was told she would be “failing as a Christian” if she didn’t submit to him. Another woman described how, just hours after helping relatives identify bodies following the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, Brain entered her home, climbed into her bed, and began touching her, praising her while she lay still. “She can’t now remember where he touched her but all she could remember was his hands being all over her. She had not, she said, consented to this happening,” the prosecutor told the court, according to the Daily Mail.
Brain, now 68 and living in Wilmslow, Cheshire, denied the charges, insisting that any sexual contact was consensual and that he never sought to control his followers’ dress, weight, or friendships. “Some massages, intended to be for ‘tensions’ on his body, could evolve into ‘sensual touching,’ which he said was between friends and ‘no big deal’,” Brain told the jury, as reported by The Sun and BBC. He further denied that the “Lycra Nuns” were forced to wear lingerie, claiming their attire was “completely normal” for the era and likened it to outfits worn by the music group Soul II Soul. When asked if he tried to start a cult, Brain flatly denied it, stating that the group was “completely anti-cult.”
The court, however, was presented with evidence that painted a different picture. Witnesses described how Brain exerted control by making women wear the same clothing, lose weight, and discouraged them from maintaining outside friendships. Some members even donated large sums of money, inheritances, or homes to the NOS. An official who raised concerns about the “scantily clad, lycra-wearing pretty young women” coming and going from Brain’s home was reportedly rebuked for speaking out. One “founder member” of the homebase team said she viewed Brain as “a form of prophet” and described how up to five women at a time would keep his home spotless.
Brain’s influence extended to his ordination: the court heard that his Church of England ordination was “fast-tracked” in 1991, and that he wore De Niro’s robes from The Mission for the ceremony. His leadership and the allegations against him became the subject of television documentaries and books after the first accusations surfaced in the mid-1990s. Brain even appeared in one documentary, admitting to sexual contact with female NOS members.
During the trial, Brain was cleared of 15 other charges of indecent assault. As of August 20, 2025, jurors were still deliberating on four further counts of indecent assault and one charge of rape. In total, Brain faced 37 charges relating to 13 women, and he continues to deny all charges. He showed no emotion as the jury foreman delivered the verdicts, according to BBC and The Sun.
The NOS, once lauded as a beacon of modern worship, has since been exposed as a cautionary tale of unchecked authority and exploitation. The church group’s services may have been innovative and its founder charismatic, but the court’s findings laid bare the harm inflicted behind closed doors.
Jurors are expected to return to court at 10am on August 21, 2025, to continue their deliberations on the remaining charges. For the women who came forward, the verdict marks a significant—if painful—step toward justice and acknowledgement of their suffering.
As the legal process continues, the story of Chris Brain and the Nine O’Clock Service stands as a stark reminder: charisma and innovation, without accountability, can hide deep and lasting harm.
