Gary Glitter found guilty of abusing three girls
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In 2012, Glitter – real name Paul Gadd – became the first person to be arrested as part of the Operation Yewtree investigation that was launched in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal.
Yesterday 70-year-old Glitter was convicted of one count of attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault, and one count of sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 – an offence which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. He was cleared of two counts of indecent assault and one count of administering a drug or other thing in order to facilitate sexual intercourse.
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Hide AdSpeaking outside Southwark Crown Court in London after the verdict, Detective Chief Inspector Mick Orchard from Operation Yewtree said: “Paul Gadd has shown himself to be a habitual sexual predator who took advantage of the star status afforded to him by targeting young girls who trusted him and were in awe of his fame.
“His lack of remorse and defence that the victims were lying makes his crimes all the more indefensible. I am pleased that the jury were able to see through this.”
He added that he wanted to thank the victims for their bravery in coming forward and speaking out about their ordeals.
Mr Orchard added: “Paul Gadd was the first individual arrested under Operation Yewtree. This goes to highlight the complexities involved in dealing with offences of this nature and our determination to pursue all lines of inquiry, and wherever possible present these cases before the courts.”
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Hide AdWhen asked whether any other complainants had come forward during the course of the trial, a Met spokeswoman said: “Officers have received other information and it is currently being assessed.”
Glitter was at the height of his fame when he preyed on the youngsters, who thought no-one would believe their word 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.
The 12-year-old, who had been drinking champagne, was invited back to his hotel room where Glitter told her that comic Spike Milligan had a gun and was after him for sleeping with his wife.
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Hide AdAfter her mother was taken from the room by his manager Mike Leander, the youngster was led into a bedroom where Glitter had sex with her.
The 70-year-old’s youngest victim was less than ten years old when he crept into her bed and tried to rape her in 1975.
In November 1999, the glam-rocker suffered a spectacular fall from grace when he admitted possessing 4,000 images of child pornography and was jailed for four months and listed as a sex offender.
The Metropolitan Police’s Operation Yewtree investigation has already seen high-profile figures convicted of historical sexual offences, including the former Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis and PR guru Max Clifford.
Glitter will be sentenced on 27 February.
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Hide AdRemanding Glitter in custody, judge Alistair McCreath ordered pre-sentence reports.
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Rise and fall of glam-rock star first jailed over child porn haul
Glitter was born Paul Gadd in Banbury, Oxfordshire, in 1944 and began his search for fame in his teenage years as a singer on the club circuit.
He got in at the start of the glam craze in 1972 and was propelled to stardom by the Glitter persona he invented.
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Hide AdThe name was chosen after Gadd worked through the letters of the alphabet looking for other words starting with “G”. His breakthrough hit, Rock And Roll (Parts One And Two), reached the top 10 in both the US and UK and in the following years Gadd proved his songwriting and performing talent with frequent chart-toppers.
The glam era was bright but short, and as it fizzled out Glitter found himself divorced, bankrupt and struggling with alcohol abuse. In the 1980s and 1990s he enjoyed occasional comebacks and a measure of celebrity touring as a student novelty act.
In November 1997 his laptop computer was serviced and an engineer found thousands of child porn images on its hard drive. He was sentenced in 1999 to four months, serving half.
Glitter left the country, living off royalties estimated at £100,000 year. He was discovered by journalists living in Spain and moved to Cuba and then to South East Asia. He was kicked out of Cambodia in 2003 and moved to Thailand and then to Vietnam.
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Hide AdGlitter was arrested trying to board a flight after allegations that he molested two girls, aged 11 and 12, at his home in the resort town of Vung Tau.
He was convicted in 2006 and spent almost three years in prison. After his release he returned to the UK in 2008 and has a home in central London.
In October 2012 he became the first person arrested as part of Operation Yewtree, the investigation launched in the wake of abuse claims against Jimmy Savile.