Police believe there may be more victims of a former church deacon and youth group leader who was convicted earlier this week of sexual offences against young men over a period of more than 40 years.
77 John Grant was found guilty at Wood Green Crown Court of sexual offences relating to four victim-survivors between 1970 and 2012. The abuse happened while he was associated with churches across the country and with youth groups in north London.
The most senior role held by Grant was at Muswell Hill Baptist Church as Moderator for the London Baptist Association. This would involve Grant standing in as a moderator for other churches in the district and he preached at local churches in the area, which detectives believe may have resulted in contact with other potential victim-survivors. He also had strong links with Billingham Baptist Church in Stockton-on-Tees and was a member of the Broomsknoll Church of Scotland in Airdrie between 1965 and 1970. He was also a member of Ward Green Baptist Church in Barnsley between 1973 and 1984.
Police first became aware of Grant’s offending in 2023 after a victim-survivor reported that he had been repeatedly sexually assaulted over a 30-year period. Following this disclosure, officers launched extensive enquiries to identify organisations and churches connected to Grant and identified further victim-survivors.
Police say Grant groomed vulnerable young men through coercive control and behaviour, before sexually assaulting them.
He was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault, six counts of indecent assault and two counts of causing another person to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity.
Police believe there may be a considerable number of other victims due to the nature of Grant’s offending and his lengthy association with the church as an influential member at multiple religious institutions.
Detective Constable Liam Levy, who led the investigation, said: “This is a deeply distressing case involving a number of non-recent sexual offences, and I would like to recognise the courage and bravery shown by the victim-survivors in coming forward and putting their trust in us.
“This conviction would not have been possible without their accounts that were provided in the early stages of the investigation, which helped identify the scale of Grant’s prolific offending across more than four decades. The victim-survivors were vulnerable young men who put their trust in Grant through his church association, and it is devastating they could be taken advantage of in this way.
“As this case demonstrates, the Met is firmly committed to investigating all reports of rape and sexual offences, even if they occurred many years ago. Any victim-survivor that comes forward will be treated with dignity, compassion and sensitivity at every step of the way.”
Grant will be sentenced on 11 September.
Anyone with information or wishing to report offences relating to Grant can call police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
For confidential help, the 24/7 Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Line offers free phone and online chat for anyone aged 16+ in England and Wales: 0808 500 2222 or speak to the national Christian helpline Premier Lifeline on 0300 111 0101.