A 77-year-old man who held senior positions at churches and youth groups across the country has been jailed for eight and a half years, as detectives appeal for any further potential victims to come forward.
A former senior church figure who groomed and sexually assaulted vulnerable young men over a period spanning decades has been jailed for eight and a half years.
John Grant, 77, of Colney Hatch Lane in Hornsey, was sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court on Monday, 14 September.
He was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the sex offenders register for life.
Grant had been convicted in July 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 said Grant held influential positions at churches and within local communities across the country between 1970 and 2012.
These included Muswell Hill Baptist Church in north London and Billingham Baptist Church in Stockton-on-Tees, as well as several north London youth groups. His roles included church deacon and youth group leader, and he was also Moderator for the London Baptist Association.
Grant was additionally associated with Ward Green Baptist Church in Barnsley between 1973 and 1984 and Broomsknoll Church of Scotland in Airdrie between 1965 and 1970.
The Metropolitan Police investigation began in 2023 when a victim reported being repeatedly sexually assaulted by Grant over a period of around 30 years.
Detectives subsequently identified further victims and said there was a similar pattern in which Grant groomed vulnerable young men through coercive and controlling behaviour before sexually assaulting them.
Police believe Grant's long association with churches and youth organisations means there could be other victims who have not yet come forward.
Detective Chief Inspector Elsa Mak paid tribute to those who had already spoken to investigators, saying their accounts had been instrumental in establishing the scale of Grant's offending.
She said police would investigate reports of serious sexual offences even when they happened many years ago and that anyone coming forward would be treated with dignity and sensitivity.
Anyone wishing to report offences relating to Grant is being asked to contact police on 101.
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