News
norman lebrecht
May 21, 2024
The British conductor today admitted a third charge of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming. Two other charges had already been admitted.
The judge at Southwark Crown Court ordered him to return next Tuesday for sentencing, saying ‘this requires careful consideration.’
Latham-Koenig, 70, was allowed to remain on bail on condition he remains at his sister’s address in Hampstead and surrenders his passport to police.
He had been arrested at Victoria Station after arranging to meet a person he believed to be a 14-year-old boy.
Comments
Jonathan Dunsby says:
May 21, 2024 at 6:50 pm
==remains at his sister’s address in Hampstead ==
His sister is married to Nicholas Kenyon
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/music-man-in-discord-1345781.html
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squagmogleur says:May 22, 2024 at 7:52 am
So what? Why drag Kenyon into this?
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- Ex Proms office says:
May 22, 2024 at 7:57 am
Nick Kenyon is basically a decent man, it’s not his fault that his brother-in-law has turned out to be a paedo. However, he may not want to continue sheltering a convicted felon but next week’s sentencing may save him having to decide.
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squagmogleur 
Ex Proms office 
Tif says:
May 21, 2024 at 8:05 pm
This has to be watched very carefully.. It shouldn’t matter who he is related to but deals may be done behind closed doors. This excuse of a man needs to be locked up to protect young boys. Throw the book at him, lock him up. These pompous, devious and well connected abusers should not be afforded any sympathy. Think of the children..
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- Scorn says:
May 22, 2024 at 12:53 pm
Jails are full, judges under orders to minimise the jailing of offenders.
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Scorn 
Guy says:
May 21, 2024 at 9:00 pm
Yat-Sen Chang got 9 years for giving massages. Sexually grooming a child would probably get twice that sentence.
Bone says:
May 21, 2024 at 10:38 pm
After the necessary court proceeding, I hope justice is administered swiftly in the rear parking lot of the courthouse.
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- Nik says:
May 22, 2024 at 9:07 am
There is no parking at Southwark Crown Court.
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Nik 
Jobim75 says:
May 22, 2024 at 12:06 am
What can be said, a very good conductor. But obviously some demons….
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- professional musician says:
May 23, 2024 at 7:40 pm
Absolutely lousy conductor. Played once under him in the 90s..And a pompous prick.
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professional musician 
Ivan Grozny says:
May 22, 2024 at 5:27 am
JLK conducted at Novaya Opera in Moscow on 8th December. The entrapment began the next day.
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- Mel Cadman says:
May 23, 2024 at 5:47 pm
Excusing paedophilia?!
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- Ivan Grozny says:
May 24, 2024 at 11:53 am
How so? It’s clearly entrapment and I merely stated two facts.
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Mel Cadman 
Babe Ruth says:
May 22, 2024 at 5:58 am
As they say in the US, :
“3 strikes and you’re out”.
No orchestra will ever want to invite him back, and he knows it.
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- Guy says:
May 22, 2024 at 3:28 pm
Maybe he can organize a prison orchestra.
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- professional musician says:
May 23, 2024 at 7:40 pm
There were not that many before…
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Mateo Vasquez says:
May 22, 2024 at 7:14 am
He’s pled guilty to all three, very serious charges. What a disastrous way to end his career.
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- Peter says:
May 22, 2024 at 9:22 am
Even if it wasn’t that much of a career – I have been to maybe three concerts that happened to be conducted by him, and I don’t remember anything about them. Not even the works he conducted.
The sentence is one thing.
Whether he survives the time inside is another.
His career is over at an age when many conductors find that their career truly begins.Reply
Peter Ivan Grozny says:
May 22, 2024 at 8:26 am
The judge is giving the matter careful consideration. I hope that more details of the exchange will be given as these will be relevant at sentencing. Save ordure until then. Remember he will only be punished for intent and not because he is assumed to have committed other sexual acts.
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- Lawyer Musician says:
May 22, 2024 at 10:51 am
I’m afraid you are wrong in suggesting that he will be able to plead mitigation for not actually having committed the act. The law surrounding this was tightened a while back.
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Lawyer Musician 
Jan Kazowski says:
May 22, 2024 at 10:31 am
Isn’t this entrapment?
He was fooled by online trolls pretending to be kids
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- Guy says:
May 22, 2024 at 3:34 pm
Some men in the US have beaten charges in cases like this. It does seem like entrapment because the original site he found the police officer on was a dating site where everyone is supposed to be of legal age. I am not that familiar with British law though. And he did plead guilty.
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- Mel Cadman says:
May 23, 2024 at 5:50 pm
… And you refer to his responding to invites of sexual depravity with a minor as mere ‘entrapment’? Inexcusable defence of the indefensible …
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- Ivan Grozny says:
May 24, 2024 at 10:01 am
It is only you qualifying ‘entrapment’ by the adjective ‘mere’.
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John R. says:
May 22, 2024 at 3:39 pm
I can see it. He definitely has a pervy look.
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Guest says:
May 22, 2024 at 9:22 pm
I remember when he visited Indiana Uni years ago – there was something a little off, but it was hard to put a finger on it. Not surprised.
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- Mark Mortimer says:
May 23, 2024 at 12:45 pm
There were enough dodgy characters at IU in any case to contend with.
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Mark Mortimer 
Horbus Rohebian says:
May 23, 2024 at 8:35 am
Could this man (and gifted musician by all accounts) not have gleaned all the sensual pleasure he needed from music without the need for sexual abuse? I believe he is loaded (financially) so poverty/lack of career will be of little concern to him on release from His Majesty’s Pleasure.
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Champagne a la coupe says:
May 24, 2024 at 7:56 am
The abuse of a child is depraved! If he is found guilty, he deserves a lengthy prison sentence! These people cannot be allowed to roam the streets!
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- Jason11123 says:
May 24, 2024 at 11:31 am
He’s already pled guilty… did you not read the article?
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