Russell Brand's rape conviction could be a 'tipping point' that prompts more assault claims against other celebrities, Britain's top police officer has said.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said he 'wouldn't be surprised' if the former comedian's downfall encouraged more victims to report historic allegations against famous figures.
He added that 'many, many more' alleged victims may also come forward to accuse Brand of further offences.
The comments came after predator Brand, 51, spent his first night in solitary confinement at Wandsworth Prison after being found guilty on Thursday of launching sex attacks on four women at the height of his fame.
He raped one of them, a 21-year-old, at his home in 2009. He is due to be sentenced on Monday.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Sir Mark drew comparisons to how the posthumous exposure of Jimmy Savile as a prolific sex offender prompted more victims to come forward, leading to the convictions of other celebrities.
'When the Jimmy Savile case broke… we saw, all of a sudden, allegations coming forward that led to the conviction of, say, [broadcaster] Rolf Harris and [publicist] Max Clifford,' the Met chief said.
He paid tribute to those 'who came forward to report the most atrocious, ghastly experience', in spite of the supposed star power of their abuser.
Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said there could be many more celebrity assault victims
Sir Mark added the jury convicting Brand despite his celebrity status should give hope to others that they will be believed and encouraged them to contact police.
'It's an awful thing to step forward and report, particularly when you see the person who abused you as powerful. If you've seen somebody else powerful taken down, that may be the tipping point,' he said.
'You might think, "Actually, no, I do want to talk about this, I'm prepared to talk to the police, I'm prepared to go to court about it." So I wouldn't be surprised if we see more.'
Detectives say they are now investigating two further rape allegations against Brand, including one girl who was just 16 at the time she is said to have been attacked.
Officers have already submitted files of evidence in the hope of bringing further charges against him.
'We've got two other victims who've come forward who want to tell their story, and so two rape cases we're investigating. I wouldn't be surprised if many, many more come forward,' Sir Mark told LBC radio.
The Met chief also hit out at Brand's legal team for peddling so-called rape myths to the jury, amid accusations they amounted to victim-blaming.
This included suggestions that the women were lying because they did not scream or attempt to flee from Brand during the attacks, and questioning why they did not report what happened to police at the time.
Victims' Commissioner Claire Waxman said she is seeking to update the law to ensure juries are warned against such claims as she criticised Brand's barrister, Ian Winter KC.
Sir Mark said he shared Ms Waxman's concerns and had been left 'angry' at what he heard from the defence in the courtroom.
He told the Daily Mail: 'Victims go through such trauma, and to misrepresent how victims react to a jury, it shocked me that that happened. The evidence is really clear – people react very differently to these traumatic situations.
'Some people will freeze, some people will fight. After the event, some people will speak straight away, other people will bottle it up for ages. People react differently. And we shouldn't allow juries to be misled.'
Brand's defence included claims journalists and police were effectively courting victims, after the Sunday Times and a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary exposed him as a sexual predator in 2023.
Russell Brand was convicted of rape and sexual assault by a jury on Thursday
Brand left Southwark Crown Court in a prison van as onlookers attempted to photograph through its windows
In a pre-trial argument, Brand, through Mr Winter, accused the journalists who first reported the allegations of being 'criminals', suggesting it had made a fair trial impossible. Sir Mark said he was not bothered by Brand's claims.
On Friday, Mr Winter reported himself to industry regulator the Bar Standards Board after he launched a foul-mouthed tirade at a Sunday Times journalist who worked on the 2023 investigation.
He was overhead telling Rosamund Urwin: 'I hope you are pleased with yourself. You f***** it. Congratulations.'
He later said he wanted the exchange to be 'subject to proper scrutiny' following 'the ways matters have been characterised in today's Press'.
Meanwhile, Andy Burnham said he had 'no idea' about Brand's wrongdoing when he backed him in 2014 over a tabloid newspaper story concerning the presenter's housing arrangements.
The Prime Minister also said he would 'look at the way rape trials are conducted' given concerns that complainants are left feeling like they are 'on trial'.
Mr Burnham would not say whether this constituted a law change, but told Times Radio: 'We need to encourage more women to come forward to report rape. I wouldn't rule anything out.'
Along with the convictions, Brand was acquitted of two rapes and one attempted indecent assault.
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