Content Warning: This article discusses child sexual abuse.
Convicted sex offender and former pop star Gary Glitter has been sent back to prison just over a month after he walked free after he breached strict bail conditions. In an article published over the weekend by British newspaper The Sun, Glitter was reportedly seen using a smartphone and asking how to access the dark web while staying in a bail hostel.
The Probation Service confirmed Glitter had breached his licence conditions. “Protecting the public is our number one priority,” a spokesperson said in a statement, as per The Guardian. “That’s why we set tough licence conditions and when offenders breach them, we don’t hesitate to return them to custody.”
Gary Glitter Was Originally Sentenced To 16 Years
Glitter, real name Paul Gadd, was jailed in 2015 for 16 years for sexually abusing three schoolgirls in incidents throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He was automatically released from prison after serving eight years, due to him being given a “standard determinate” sentence – a controversial part of British law that has since been changed.
“I’ve spoken to my client today and like every victim of serious sexual assault facing early release of her abuser, today is an incredibly difficult day for her,” said Richard Scorer, a lawyer for one of the victims, at the time of Glitter’s release. “The abuse, including repeated rapes which our client suffered from the age of 12, have left her with a life sentence. Our client feels this was not the justice she was promised and the early release devalues her suffering and that of his other victims.”
Glitter was the first person arrested as part of Operation Yewtree, the police investigation that was launched following the Jimmy Savile saga. In 2006, Glitter was sent to prison for two and a half years for the sexual abuse of two girls in Vietnam, and in 2002 he was barred from Cambodia due to reports of sexual crimes.
If you need assistance, 1800 RESPECT – the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service — can be reached on 1800 737 732. For help or information regarding mental health, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.
Further Reading
Australian Radio Stations Have Pulled Michael Jackson’s Music From Air
Elton John On Michael Jackson: “A Disturbing Person To Be Around”
