Gary Glitter rose to fame as a symbol of British 1970s glam rock, amassing a staggering 20 million record sales with chart-topping hits like “Rock and Roll (Parts 1 and 2)” and “Do You Wanna Touch Me”.
However, his trajectory took a sinister turn in the 1990s when he faced arrest and imprisonment for the possession of thousands of child pornography images and videos.
The man behind the glitter, Paul Gadd, faced subsequent convictions for child sexual abuse and attempted rape.
Despite serving a portion of his 16-year sentence, he was recently returned to prison.
The ITV documentary, “Glitter: The Popstar Paedophile”, scheduled to air on April 23, delves into the intricate layers of his double life, shedding light on how his charming stage persona masked years of predatory conduct offstage.
What Did Gary Glitter Do?
Glitter departed his home country following his incarceration, relocating to Southeast Asia. In 2002, troubling accounts began to surface in Cambodia, implicating him in sex-related offenses.
After being expelled from Cambodia, he faced legal proceedings in 2006 for the sexual exploitation of two young girls, aged 10 and 11, in Vietnam.
This resulted in a two-year prison sentence.During his trial in Vietnam, the court learned that Glitter had engaged in inappropriate behavior with two children under the age of 11 at his residence in Vung Tau, involving kissing and fondling.
A 2015 BBC investigation featured an interview with one of the victims, who recounted being taken to Glitter’s residence, where she was subjected to the viewing of various explicit photos and videos.
“He then grabbed me and dragged me into the bedroom, and that’s when he did it to me,” she said. “I was scared – really scared, so scared.”
Two schoolgirls were attacked by Glitter after he invited them into his dressing room after a show, separating them from their mothers.
In another instance, whioch took place in 1975, Glitter was found to have climbed into the bed of a girl under the age of 10 before raping her.
Judge Alistair McCreath sentenced him to 16 years in prison, telling the court:
“It is difficult to overstate the depravity of this dreadful behaviour.”
Where Is Gary Glitter Now?
In 2023, Glitter was released from HM Prison The Verne, a low-security prison in Dorset, after serving only half of a 16-year sentence.
At the time, a Ministry of Justice spokesperson said:
“Sex offenders like Paul Gadd are closely monitored by the police and Probation Service and face some of the strictest licence conditions including being fitted with a GPS tag.
“If the offender breaches these conditions at any point, they can go back behind bars.”
However, weeks after his release, Glitter was allegedly caught downloading images of children on a smartphone and was recalled to prison.
His appeal to the parole board was denied, citing his “sexual interest in underage girls.” Glitter is currently detained at HMP Albany on the Isle of Wight.