Charity boss abused young boys

 The chairman of a charity providing music therapy to street children around the world, has been jailed for 30 years for sexually abusing young boys.

Simon McCarty, 40, from Surrey, was sentenced at the US District Court in Honolulu, Hawaii.

McCarty earlier admitted abusing young boys and making videos of child pornography between 2005 and 2007.

West Midlands were involved in the investigation after a ten-year-old boy came forward with "crucial" evidence.

McCarty was arrested in 2008 after being caught with child pornography at a Hawaii airport.

He was due to give a seminar in Hawaii on group drumming.

McCarty was also sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release and told to pay $98,000 (more than £61,000) in compensation.

'Sexual predator'

The conviction involved a joint investigation between US authorities and UK police.

West Midlands Police described it as a "very challenging case, working across different jurisdictions over several years".

Det Insp Kay Wallace, from the force, said a 10-year-old boy from the West Midlands provided "crucial" evidence to the US court.

Describing McCarty as a "sexual predator" she said: "Much of the evidence in the case centred on the testimony of the West Midlands boy we identified as being among his victims.

She said: "McCarty used his charitable position to ingratiate himself into the boy's family. He then shattered the family's trust by abusing the victim.

"I'd like to praise the bravery of the young boy."

Source: BBC News