Paedophile Gary Glitter released from prison

DISGRACED pop star Gary Glitter has been freed from prison after serving half of his 16-year sentence for sex crimes.

The paedophile glam rock singer – who had a string of chart hits in the 1970s – was jailed in 2015 for sexually abusing three schoolgirls.

The 79-year-old left HMP The Verne – a low-security category C jail in Portland, Dorset – yesterday after eight years behind bars.

Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, was freed automatically halfway through a fixed-term determinate sentence and will now be subject to licence conditions.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman 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.

“We’ve already introduced tougher sentences for the worst offenders and ended the automatic halfway release for serious crimes.”

Prison vans were seen leaving the jail yesterday morning but it is thought Glitter may have been released in the early hours.

The sex offender was at the height of his fame when he preyed on his vulnerable victims, who thought noone would believe their claims over that of a celebrity.

He attacked two girls, aged 12 and 13, after inviting them backstage to his dressing-room and isolating them from their mothers. His third victim was less than 10 years old when he crept into her bed and tried to rape her in 1975.

The allegations only came to light nearly 40 years later.