Church Leader Escapes Justice for Four Decades of Abuse as Supervisors Looked the Other Way

CHURCH deacon John Grant smiled benevolently as he dished out soup to the homeless.

As a prominent member of the , nobody blinked an eyelid when he offered men a temporary place to live in his £500,000 home in leafy Muswell Hill, London.

Shamed John Grant could have more victims Credit: PA Cops quiz Grant in the back of a police car Credit: Met Police

But behind the scenes, wolfish Grant had already been and abusing vulnerable young men for years – and The Sun can today reveal that the church KNEW he was a sex offender.

Grant, 77, who also ran youth clubs, even told church bosses he had a problem – but they suggested he get counselling instead of going to the cops.

Now police fear he could have victims all over the UK after his abuse went on for more than four decades.

The detective who finally brought him to justice said: “This was textbook grooming.

Grant refused to answer questions about his offending Credit: Met Police He found victims at the Muswell Baptist Church soup kitchen Credit: Facebook/@muswellhillbaptist

“His church work facilitated his offending.”

Grant’s twisted crimes only came to light when one of his victims complained to a minister at a totally different Anglican church, who got in touch with the baptist safeguarding officers.

The first complaint about Grant came in the 70s when he was a leader at Billingham Baptist Church in . His victim told church seniors he had been assaulted but they dealt with it internally, giving Grant a slap on the wrist.

In 1984, he moved to Baptist Church and six years later he told deacons that he had inappropriately touched a young man.

He only admitted it after his victim threatened to tell church leaders and, even then, downplayed it, claiming he touched him ‘too far up his leg’.

Astonishingly, they suggested he get counselling but it’s not known if any help was offered to his victim.

Justice finally caught up with Grant this week when he was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault, six of indecent of indecent assault and two counts of causing a victim to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity.

He will be sentenced in September for the offences which related to four victims aged between 18 and 25, from 1970 to 2012.

One of his victims had already died but police managed to secure a conviction on evidence given by others, including his wife.

Police have now appealed for more potential victims to come forward from both Billingham and Muswell Hill as well as Broomsknoll Church of Scotland in , which Grant attended between 1965 and 1970, and Ward Green Baptist Church in , where he went between 1973 and 1984.

His most senior role was at Muswell where he was a moderator for the London Baptist Association, which saw him preach at other churches around the area.

Detective constable Liam Levy, who led the investigation, which he described as “a distressing case” said one of Grant’s victims was previously involved in an altercation with the deacon.

He said: “The earliest complaint about Grant relates to his time at Billingham when, sometime during the 1970s, a complaint was made against him but it was dealt with internally.

“In 1990, he self-reported to the deacons at Muswell Hill that there had been an incident between him and a young man and, again, it was dealt with as a conversation. There was mention of him needing counselling.

“Two of his victims were very vulnerable after he met them through his work at a soup kitchen, one was homeless and the other was about to be made homeless.

“He took them both into his homes at different times.”

Billingham Baptist Church where the first allegation against Grant was made Credit: Facebook/@billinghambaptistchurch

The first complaint to police came in 2023 and DC Levy managed to track down other victims, including one who had a physical altercation with the ex-deacon in 2008.

DC Levy said: “We don’t know how many other victims there might be, but there’s a strong belief that there are more out there.

“It’s a concern for me that, due to Grant’s age, there could be other complainants that have since passed away but we have demonstrated that we can press charges and secure a conviction.

“In interview, Grant was quite subdued. He would pick and choose when to be open. He would freely talk about the work he’d done in the church and was happy to tell us where he’d been in the past, but when it came down to the core of the offending he would shut down and revert to ‘no comment’.

“I got the impression that his work was a point of pride for him, something he relied upon and referred to throughout his life.

“Unfortunately it facilitated his offending and gave him an open door to vulnerable people.

“Some of his victims put on a brave face but it undoubtedly changed their lives completely.”

Reverend Mike Lowe, of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, which oversees churches, said safeguarding has changed “massively” over the time of Grant’s offending.

The Union said it was “shocked and saddened” and was “committed towards excellence in safeguarding.”

A statement from the London Baptist Association said it “deeply condemned” Grant’s actions.

It added: “We recognise the immense courage it takes for victim-survivors to come forward, particularly when offences occurred many years ago and involve someone who held positions of trust and influence within our churches.

“Mr Grant was a prominent and influential figure in the life of the London Baptist Association for many years.

“He served in a number of voluntary leadership roles, including as a Trustee and Moderator of our charity, and preached widely across our family of churches.

“This case is a sobering reminder that positions of authority within our churches can be misused.

“It reinforces the importance of robust safeguarding, healthy accountability, and ensuring that our churches are places where people are safe, where concerns are heard, and where action is taken.

“Our Regional Safeguarding Lead supported the initial report to police, maintained contact throughout the investigation, and provided a formal witness statement. Throughout, our priority has been to support victim-survivors, cooperate fully with the police investigation, and help the church respond with care, integrity, and transparency.”

The Church refused to be drawn on specific details of previous allegations dealt with by leadership.

• 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.