Victims ‘let down’ as Glitter is freed halfway through jail sentence
Glam rock singer released after eight years in prison despite no remorse for sex crimes against children
VICTIMS of Gary Glitter have said they feel let down by the justice system after the serial paedophile was freed from prison halfway through a 16-year sentence for a string of “depraved and dreadful” sex crimes against children.
The 79-year-old left HMP The Verne, a low-security, category C jail in Portland, Dorset, yesterday after eight years behind bars and will now be subject to strict licensing conditions.
One of his victims, who was raped as a 12-year-old in the 1970s, said: “He should never have been let out of prison for what he did. He’s just done eight years but I’m doing a life sentence.
“I can never forget what this monster did to me and I’m still struggling to deal with it. I really believe that he is still a danger to society. Who knows what he could go on to do? What he did to me has ruined my life. I feel as if I’ve been let down by the justice system.”
Another of his victims, who is now seeking damages for her ordeal through the civil courts, said this was not the justice she had been promised.
The woman’s lawyer, Richard Scorer, of Slater and Gordon, said: “The abuse, including repeated rapes which our client suffered from the age of 12, have left her with a life sentence. Paul Gadd, more commonly known as Gary Glitter, has never admitted his offences, has never apologised and has never shown any remorse.”
Glitter was jailed in 2015 after being convicted of the offence of having sex with a girl under 13, attempting to rape an eight year old and repeatedly molesting a 12-year-old between 1975 and 1980.
He was freed automatically halfway through a fixed-term sentence despite the original trial judge saying he had done nothing to atone for his crimes.
It is understood the former glamrock star, worth an estimated £6million, will have to wear an electronic tag and will have a strict curfew.
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, they can go back behind bars.”
In 1975, Glitter attempted to rape an eight-year-old girl after creeping into her bed. Two years later he subjected a 12-year-old girl to a prolonged episode of sexual abuse after enticing her to his hotel room.
He attacked a third victim, aged 13, luring her back to his dressing room after a performance.
In 1999 he was jailed for possessing 4,000 indecent images of children. In 2006, he was convicted of sexually abusing two young girls in Vietnam and spent two-anda-half years in jail.