‘Many other’ women could blame Russell Brand

London’s police chief said Friday he expected “many more” charges to emerge against former British actor and comedian Russell Brand, found guilty of rape and sexual assault by the courts on Thursday.

Former star host, Russell Brand, 51, was found guilty of raping one of his fans, then aged 21, and of sexually assaulting three other women between 2004 and 2009.

He was placed in pre-trial detention and will be decided on his fate on Monday, but the judge has already warned him that he would be sentenced to a “significant prison sentence”. He faces life imprisonment.

After this verdict, “I wouldn’t be surprised if many more (women) came forward” regarding the star’s behavior, London police chief Mark Rowley said Friday in an interview with the BBC.

Russell Brand faces two new rape charges, which came to light during the trial and about which he was questioned by police.

“We are looking into (these) two additional rape accusations and we encourage anyone else to come forward if there are other accusations” against Russell Brand, Mark Rowley also indicated on Times Radio.

According to Mark Rowley, these types of high-profile cases often lead to a “rise” in reports of sexual violence, because they give victims more confidence to approach the authorities.

The police chief praised the “courage of the survivors” and said he was “proud” of the police officers who worked on this “major investigation”, with the hearing of around a hundred witnesses.

Six women accused Russell Brand of rape and sexual assault, when he was at the height of his fame as a stand-up comedian and television presenter.

The ex-comedian turned conspiracy influencer, with millions of subscribers on social networks, was acquitted of two rapes and one count of attempted indecent assault.

During his trial, which lasted four weeks, he claimed to have once had a very active sex life with many partners, but that all his relationships were consensual.

The BBC, where Russell Brand worked between 2006 and 2008, renewed its apologies to the victims on Thursday, both for the “failings” but also the “culture” that may have existed at the time in the company.