Police appeal for victims of former deacon and member of Barnsley chuch after sexual assault conviction
John Grant, 77, was a member of Ward Green Baptist Church in Barnsley in the 1970s and 1980s.
Last updated 14th Sep 2026
Detectives are appealing for any further victims to come forward after a former church deacon and youth group leader was jailed for sexual offences against four young men over a period of nearly 40 years.
John Grant, 77, of Colney Hatch Lane, Hornsey, north London, was a senior figure in churches across the UK including Muswell Hill Baptist Church in north London and Billingham Baptist Church in Stockton-on-Tees, as well as several youth groups in north London.
He was jailed for eight-and-a-half years at Wood Green Crown Court on Monday for three counts of sexual assault, six counts of indecent assault and two counts of causing another person to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity between 1970 and 2008.
Metropolitan Police Detective Constable Liam Levy 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 was first reported to police in 2023 when a victim came forward to say he had been sexually assaulted over nearly 20 years, starting in 1994 when he moved into a shared house with the predator and was pressured into massages that involved sexual touching.
Detectives then began investigating churches and youth groups where Grant had worked, and discovered further victims.
As well as Billingham and Muswell Hill churches, Grant was also a member of the Broomknoll Church of Scotland in Airdrie between 1965 and 1970, and was a member of Ward Green Baptist Church in Barnsley between 1973 and 1984.
While at Muswell Hill he was also a moderator for the London Baptist Association, which meant he travelled around other churches in the same district.
Dominique Burrell from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “The way John Grant abused his position as a trusted religious leader to prey on young men in his community was calculated and predatory.
“He targeted teenagers through youth groups, and befriended vulnerable young men in financial hardship – all to create opportunities so that he could assault them.
“He manufactured these relationships for his own gratification and it would have been clear that none of the victims consented to his sexual touching and inappropriate behaviour.
“Grant’s offending has had a lasting impact on the victims in this case, and I would like to commend them all for speaking about what happened to them.
“We understand it can be difficult to come forward, but it is because of the strength of their evidence that we have been able to hold him to account.
“I hope his conviction sends a clear message that the CPS will pursue justice and prosecute those who commit sexual offences, no matter how long ago the abuse took place.”
Anyone with information can contact police on 101 quoting the reference CAD3277/08JUL26, or to remain anonymous contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.