Former Muswell Hill church leader convicted of sexual assaulting four young men

John Grant worked at Muswell Hill Baptist Church as well as other churches and used his senior position to attack vulnerable men

A former church leader in Muswell Hill has been found guilty of a string of sexual offences going back over 50 years.

John Grant, aged 77 and of Colney Hatch Lane, was convicted following a trial at Wood Green Crown Court which concluded this morning (Monday 13th).

He had links with churches across the country, including as a senior figure at Muswell Hill Baptist Church. Grant was also a youth group leader in North London.

Grant is known to have groomed vulnerable young men from the 1970s onwards and 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. He will be sentenced on Friday, 11th September.

The Metropolitan Police Service is now appealing for more victims to come forward, as investigators believe there may be a considerable number of others given Grant’s lengthy association with the church and as an influential member at multiple religious institutions.

The offences Grant has been convicted of relate to four victim-survivors and took place between 1970 and 2012 when Grant was associated with several churches across the country.

But the most senior role held by Grant was at Muswell Hill Baptist Church, as moderator for the London Baptist Association. This would see Grant stand in as a moderator for the other churches in the district and preach in local churches around Muswell Hill, which detectives believe may have resulted in contact with other potential victims.

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.”

Police first became aware of Grant’s offending in 2023 after a victim reported that he had been repeatedly sexually assaulted over a 30-year period. The abuse began in 1994 when the victim moved into a shared house with Grant. However, after two other people moved out of the address they shared, Grant began asking whether the victim-survivor wanted massages.

Despite rejecting these offers, the victim stated that he felt pressured into massages involving sexual touching. This continued until the victim moved out in 1998, but he returned to the address in 1999, where the abuse continued until 2012.

Following this disclosure, officers launched extensive enquiries to identify organisations and churches connected to Grant. These included Muswell Hill Baptist Church, Billingham Baptist Church in Stockton-on-Tees and several youth groups in North London that Grant had previously run. Through these enquiries, detectives identified further victim-survivors.

Across all the complainants, there was a similar motive displayed by Grant where he groomed vulnerable young men through coercive control and behaviour, before sexually assaulting them.

Grant was a member of the Broomsknoll Church of Scotland in Airdrie between 1965 and 1970 and was also a member of Ward Green Baptist Church in Barnsley between 1973 and 1984.

Anyone with information or wishing to report offences relating to Grant can call police on 101 quoting CAD3277/08JUL26. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

For confidential help, the 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line offers free phone and online chat for anyone aged 16+ in England and Wales: 0808 500 2222 or visit 247sexualabusesupport.org.uk.

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