Russell Brand Convicted of Rape and Sexual Assault; Police Probe Continues

Russell Brand has been found guilty of raping a fan and sexually assaulting three women over a five-year period. The Metropolitan Police say their investigation is continuing and that there could be more victims.

Brand, 51, was once a regular figure on British television and starred in a number of Hollywood movies. The jury at Southwark Crown Court in London began deliberating on 3 November, according to Reuters. Brand had pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault. Following a four-week trial, he was cleared of two counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault. He was convicted of four sexual offences, according to the Metropolitan Police.

Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, the Met's strategic lead on the investigation, spoke to the media outside the court alongside David Roberts of the Crown Prosecution Service, the public body that decides whether suspects are charged. Furphy described Brand as "a predator" whose behaviour escalated as his fame grew.

The investigation, known as Operation Actinolite, involved speaking to more than 100 witnesses, reviewing more than 1,400 documents and taking more than 340 statements. Detectives set up a dedicated team to assess reports in anticipation that potential victims might come forward.

Brand is also under investigation for two further rape allegations made by two women. He was interviewed under caution, the formal warning given to a suspect before questioning, and the Met has submitted files on both complainants to the Crown Prosecution Service.

A civil claim filed at the High Court in London accuses Brand of sexually assaulting a woman at his mansion in Los Angeles in 2008. Civil claims are lawsuits for damages rather than criminal prosecutions.

A couple of other women made allegations against Brand during the investigation, but these did not result in charges. Furphy said the investigation is continuing and that there could be more victims. He urged anyone who alleges that Brand committed rape, serious sexual violence or sexual assault against them, and who has not yet spoken to police, to come forward.