GARY GLITTER TO BE FREED FROM LONDON PRISON AFTER SERVING HALF HIS SENTENCE

In a development that has shocked many and reignited public debates about justice and rehabilitation, the notorious paedophile pop star Gary Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, is reportedly set to be released from a London prison as early as February 2023. This comes after he has served approximately half of his 16-year sentence, which was handed down in 2015 following a series of heinous crimes involving minors.

Glitter, who gained fame in the 1970s as a prominent figure in the glam rock scene with hits like "I'm The Leader Of The Gang (I Am)," "I Love You Love Me Love," and "Always Yours," saw his career and reputation shattered by a series of criminal allegations and convictions. His fall from grace was dramatic and public, beginning with his 1999 admission of possessing child pornography images, which led to a four-month jail sentence. Despite this, Glitter was able to travel extensively across Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam, due to gaps in the legal systems of those countries, as revealed by an Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).

His criminal record expanded over the years, culminating in a conviction in Vietnam in 2006 for sexually abusing two young girls aged 10 and 11. He was expelled from Cambodia in 2002 over unspecified allegations and later convicted in Vietnam of abusing two girls, which resulted in a sentence that was later reduced by three months due to a national amnesty. Throughout his criminal history, Glitter was found guilty of multiple offenses, including sexual assault and attempted rape, involving victims as young as eight years old during his peak fame in the 1970s and 1980s.

In 2015, Glitter was tried in London, where he faced charges of attempted rape, unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13, and four counts of indecent assault. The court, presided over by Judge Alistair McCreath, heard victim impact statements that underscored the profound and lasting damage inflicted upon his victims. The judge emphasized that Glitter's crimes were committed solely for his own sexual gratification, with no evidence of remorse or atonement. Glitter, dressed in a black velvet coat and burgundy scarf, showed no reaction as he was sentenced to 16 years in prison, with the court noting that he had not demonstrated any genuine remorse.

Despite his incarceration, Glitter maintained a degree of support from some fans, as evidenced by the presence of supporters outside the court on the day of sentencing. One supporter was seen flicking through an old Jackie magazine featuring the singer, while others waited for hours in the hope of catching a glimpse of him. Glitter's legal team had appealed his conviction, but the appeal was unsuccessful, and he remains on the sex offenders’ register, banned from 19 countries.

The conditions of Glitter’s release will include strict licensing terms, such as GPS monitoring, curfews, restrictions on internet use, and prohibitions on unsupervised contact with children. Any breach of these conditions could result in his re-imprisonment. The decision to release Glitter early has sparked controversy, with child protection groups like Ecpat UK expressing disappointment and calling for his deportation back to the UK at the end of his sentence. They argue that he should be kept under strict supervision to prevent any further harm.

As Glitter prepares for his imminent release, questions remain about his future and the broader implications of his case. His history of abuse, combined with his ongoing presence on the sex offenders’ register, continues to serve as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilant legal and social measures to protect vulnerable children from predators like him.