Latham-Koenig, 70, was arrested at Victoria train station in London on Wednesday and charged the following day with arranging or facilitating a child sexual offence and sexual communication with a child, police said.

He was due to appear in a London court later on Friday. An agent for the conductor did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Latham-Koenig began his career as a concert conductor with the BBC, before going on to hold a number of music director positions at orchestras and opera theatres across Europe, including in Russia.

In 2020, Britain awarded him an OBE, a national honour, for services to music and UK/Russia cultural relations.

(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar; editing by Michael Holden)