Will Russell Brand be the last predatory celeb to hide in the open? Depends on us, not him

British comedian and actor Russell Brand has been found guilty by a London jury of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault involving four women. The verdicts were delivered unanimously at Southwark Crown Court following a four-week trial. Brand, a 51-year-old who has transitioned from acting to becoming a conservative religious online guru, was acquitted of two rapes and one count of attempted indecent assault involving two other women. Judge Joel Bennathan warned Brand that he faces a “significant custodial term.”

Brand has been remanded in custody and is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday. According to KBC and Malay Mail, Brand showed no emotion and closed his eyes as the verdicts were read. The Metropolitan Police are investigating further allegations of rape involving two other women, including a 16-year-old schoolgirl. A spokesperson for the Met stated that Brand had been interviewed under caution regarding these allegations.

The offences for which Brand was convicted occurred nearly two decades ago. The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald noted that he was previously named “shagger of the year” three times by The Sun newspaper and was enabled by powerful systems and the people for whom he made money.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Conversation AU, KBC, Malay Mail — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.