A paedophile priest who sexually abused young boys over four decades before fleeing to the US has been jailed for 21 years.

A jury at Birmingham Crown Court unanimously convicted 73-year-old James Robinson, who was extradited from California last year to face trial.

The former Roman Catholic priest, who worked in the Black Country, Staffordshire, Birmingham and Coventry after being ordained in 1971, was found guilty of 21 sexual offences. He had denied all the offences, which were committed between 1959 and 1983.

Passing sentence, Judge Patrick Thomas QC described the defendant as devious and manipulative.

He told Robinson: "The offences you committed were unimaginably wicked and caused immense and long-lasting - we can only hope not permanent - damage to the six victims.

"You used - you abused - your position of trust, your position of authority and total trust within the communities that you moved to and from."