Judge orders Russell Brand jailed after guilty verdicts in London court

Russell Brand was taken into custody Thursday following a guilty verdict on one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.

Judge Joel Bennathan rejected a request for bail, citing the risk that the 51-year-old actor and comedian might flee. The judge stated that Brand faces a substantial prison term when he is sentenced on Monday. Brand was free before this ruling but was immediately placed in detention.

Bennathan addressed the personal toll of the case on Brand's family. "I regret the hardship caused to the children, of sure," the judge said. "But the hardship has been caused by serious criminal offending by their father."

The case involved allegations spanning more than two decades. The jury of eight men and four women at Southwark Crown Court deliberated for more than eight hours over two days. They found Brand guilty of sexually assaulting a woman at a London bar in 2004. They also convicted him of kissing and groping a woman at a London radio station in 2004 or 2005. A third conviction involved the anal rape of a fan he met backstage at a comedy show in 2009. The final conviction was for sexually assaulting a woman who said he demanded a massage and pressed his face into her groin during an advertisement recording in 2009.

Brand was acquitted of two rape counts and one count of attempted indecent assault. He was cleared of orally raping a woman in a restroom during the 2004 bar incident. The jury also found him not guilty of raping a woman in a hotel room during the Labour Party conference in Bournemouth in 1999. He was further acquitted of attempting to indecently assault a woman at the London office of MTV.

Brand denied the charges during his testimony. He described himself as obsessed with sex and promiscuous in his youth but insisted he never forced anyone against their will. He stated that the legal process had consumed his life and that friends and colleagues had abandoned him. His wife, Laura, testified as a character witness, but Brand noted that no one with relevant evidence was willing to testify on his behalf.

Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones described Brand as a ruthless, calculating, and manipulative sexual predator. Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy of London's Metropolitan Police called the conviction a testament to the courage of the women who reported the incidents. He noted that Brand used his influence and status to exploit women as his profile grew.

Brand is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday. He has been in custody since Thursday after the judge denied his bail request.