A RENOWNED music director faces a lengthy prison spell after he was found guilty of sexually abusing a girl.

Jonathan Smith was found guilty of twice raping a young girl among 16 counts of historic sex attacks in Sussex.

The 57-year-old had stood trial at Hove Crown Court before His Honour Judge Paul Tain.

Smith had targeted the girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, and raped her on two occasions.

Richard Hearnden, prosecuting, said Smith had also committed two counts of buggery, ten counts of indecent assault, and two counts of gross indecency with a child.

The crimes happened between the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Smith, also known as Jonathan Grieves-Smith, a music conductor and director.

According to his social media profiles, he was the Musical Director of Brighton Festival Chorus from 1983 to 1998.

He had attended the University of Sussex where he studied music, his LinkedIn profile suggests.

It states Smith is an “outstanding international conductor and artistic director who has worked with the world’s leading conductors, orchestras, and choirs in concert halls and recording studios across the UK, Europe, the U.S, Australia and New Zealand.

Most recently he was listed as the artistic director at Hallelujah Junction in Melbourne, Australia.

But now he is a convicted child rapist, and faces years behind bars.

The jury found him guilty on all counts by a majority of ten to two.

Judge Paul Tain said: “It seems the fundamental start of his adult life was based upon a massive deception.”

He ordered a pre sentence report, to look into the legal test of “dangerousness” and whether Smith poses a risk to others.

The judge said the victim’s testimony in the case was “compelling” and said: “We may find, when analysed, that his deception is greater than we think it may be.

“It may be that because the case is historic, it happened 30 years ago, that we find agreement that the person concerned is not dangerous any more.

“I will also take into account the inevitability of the very substantial sentence that will be imposed.”

Smith, formerly of Gadwell Road, Walton Cardiff, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, will face his sentencing hearing on May 19.