Former pop star Gary Glitter must stay in prison, parole panel decides

Paul Gadd, who was popularly known as the ex-pop sensation Gary Glitter, has been defeated in his attempt to be released from jail. Currently, he is incarcerated for his crimes of pedophilia and sexual assault against young girls.

Gadd, who is 79 years old, was freed from jail in February 2023 after serving half of his 16-year sentence. However, he was sent back to prison just six weeks later for supposedly accessing child pornography that had been downloaded.

The Parole Board, a group that assesses prisoners to decide if they can be set free without danger, recently held a meeting regarding Glitter's status. It was decided that Glitter wouldn't be released just yet and his sentence will end in February 2031.

The board had a hearing in private the previous month and released a decision on Wednesday. They stated that they took into account the reasons behind the offender's actions, the lack of improvement during their time in jail and after being granted parole, and any additional information that was presented during the hearing. Unfortunately, the board did not feel that it was safe to release the individual into the public as there was still a significant risk to others. For this reason, they chose to keep the offender in custody where the areas of concern could be addressed and properly monitored.

The probation officer overseeing Gadd's case stated that it would not be safe for him to live in the community. The panel concluded that in order to properly manage the risks associated with Gadd, he must implement a more comprehensive system of internal controls and be more transparent in his disclosure methods when living within the community.

According to the Parole Board panel's decision, Mr. Gadd exhibited a sexual attraction towards girls who were underage when he committed the offense. The panel also expressed concern about his lack of empathy for the victims, something he had deliberately maintained even after being released on license.

Although he had behaved well during his time in prison, he did not participate in any programs aimed at correcting his offensive behavior because he still refused to accept that he was sexually attracted to children.

Back in 1999, Gadd was locked up for a span of four months for possessing countless pictures of child abuse. Three years later, he was forced to leave Cambodia due to accusations of sex offenses, and in 2006, he was found guilty of sexually assaulting two young girls in Vietnam who were both between the ages of 10 and 11. Gadd was put behind bars for two and a half years for this crime.

He was incarcerated in 2015 for sexually assaulting three young girls while they attended school from 1975-1980. This was exposed during Operation Yewtree, which is a Metropolitan police investigation that was initiated after the Jimmy Savile case.

In February of last year, Gadd was released from HMP The Verne, which is a low-security prison located in Portland, Dorset. It was an automatic release after serving half of a determinate sentence that was fixed.

According to Richard Scorer, an attorney who represents one of Gadd's victims, the Parole Board's ruling is the best and only possible outcome. Based on what we know about Gadd/Glitter, he is still a danger to children and has never demonstrated any regret.

Setting him free would have been completely unjust, and we are relieved that the Parole Board has made the proper decision. We only desire that Glitter will now spend the complete duration of his punishment behind bars. It is entirely inequitable that our client must tolerate this recurring spectacle of Glitter's parole.

He'll have the opportunity for another hearing for parole in approximately one year. In case the Parole Board doesn't propose his release in the following times, he'll be released when his punishment finishes in February 2031, at the age of 86.