Where is Gary Glitter now? What prison was convicted paedophile released from, has he been recalled to jail

Shamed pop star Gary Glitter has been recalled to custody one month after he was released from prison, after breaching his licence conditions.

The convicted paedophile was released on 3 February after serving half of his 16-year prison sentence for abusing three teenage schoolgirls. Glitter, 78, was said to be under “some of the strictest licence conditions” upon his release, with any breach of these resulting in him being recalled.

A Probation Service spokesperson said: “Protecting the public is our number one priority. That’s why we set tough licence conditions and when offenders breach them, we don’t hesitate to return them to custody.”

The Ministry of Justice has not released details of the breach, however The Sun reports that Glitter had been caught attempting to access the dark web. In the footage obtained by the newspaper, Glitter could be seen using an internet-enabled smartphone and asking about ‘duck duck’ and ‘onion’, believed to be terms referring to the dark web.

But where was Glitter in prison, what were his crimes, and where is her now? Here’s everything you need to know.

Who is Gary Glitter?

Glitter, real name Paul Gadd, is a former singer whose career nose-dived in the late 1990s when a darker side of his personality came to light. Born in 1944, in Banbury, Oxfordshire, Gadd found fame at the age of 28 when he joined the emerging glam rock scene under the name Gary Glitter.

His songs included I’m The Leader Of The Gang (I Am), I Love You Love Me Love and Always Yours - and by 1975 he had sold 18 million records. He went bankrupt soon after and returned to the road with Dance Me Up in 1984 before he was hospitalised after an accidental overdose.

He narrowly escaped jail after a third drink-driving conviction and became somewhat of an ironic cult figure in the early 1990s for his fashion style. All before a dramatic fall from grace which began later in the same decade.

According to CelebrityNetWorth.com, Glitter is estimated to possess a net worth of around $8 million (£6.5 million). Aaccording to Snapper Music, the record label that owns the rights to Glitter’s discography, “Gary Glitter does not get paid – we’ve had no contact with him”. The Universal Music Publishing Group said: “Gary Glitter’s publishing interest in the copyright of his songs is owned by UMPG and other parties, therefore UMPG does not pay him any royalties or other considerations.”

What prison sentence was Gary Glitter serving?

In 2015, the former pop star was sentenced to 16 years in prison for sexually abusing three young girls between 1975 and 1980. His conviction was for attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault and one of having sex with a child under the age of 13.

Abuse allegations against him only came to light years later when he was the first person arrested under Operation Yewtree. The investigation was launched in the wake of the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal.

Where was Gary Glitter in prison?

Glitter was being held at HMP The Verne in Portland, Dorset, a low security category C jail, where he served his sentence.

It is not the first time Glitter has spent time in jail. He was first imprisoned in the UK for downloading images of child abuse in 1999, and was jailed in Vietnam in 2006 for molesting two girls. On his return to the UK in 2008, he was ordered to sign the sex offenders register.

He was released on Friday, 3 February, after serving half of his 16-year prison sentence. He was freed automatically without a Parole Board hearing.

Where is Gary Glitter now?

An offender who is convicted of a sexual offence - like Glitter - is released on a strict licence. The terms of the licence will likely include staying in an approved premise, so he will have to stay in a bail hostel, obeying a curfew and having GPS tagging.

He also cannot have unsupervised contact with children and will have restrictions on internet usage, as well as being banned from going near the homes of his victims. Our sister site, Portsmouth News, reported he was moved to a bail hostel in Hampshire. We are choosing not to reveal a more detailed location.

After Glitter’s alleged location was leaked online by a Facebook group The Daily Mail reported that a group of ‘angry locals’ arrived mid-afternoon and shouted at passersby: “Watch out, Glitter’s in there!” One man reportedly attempted to scale the fence.

A spokesperson from Hampshire Constabulary said: “Police were called at 3.32pm on Saturday, February 4 to reports of a public order incident. Officers attended the scene and the situation was resolved. No arrests were made.”

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.”

Has Gary Glitter been recalled to prison?

On 13 March, it was reported that Gary Glitter had been recalled to prison for breaching his bail conditions. A Probation Service spokesperson said: “Protecting the public is our number one priority. That’s why we set tough licence conditions and when offenders breach them, we don’t hesitate to return them to custody.”

The Ministry of Justice has not released details of the breach, however The Sun reports that Glitter had been caught attempting to access the dark web. In the footage obtained by the newspaper, Glitter could be seen using an internet-enabled smartphone and asking about ‘duck duck’ and ‘onion’, believed to be terms referring to the dark web.

Why did Gary Glitter get a Covid vaccine?

Glitter received a Covid vaccine in October 2021 as he falls into one of the priority groups, due to his age. The vaccine was rolled out to those people most at risk of catching the deadly virus, including everyone aged 70 and over. Glitter, aged 76 at the time, qualified as he is not receiving any other treatment - meaning he has most likely had a jab before his victims.

A UK government spokesperson said: "Prisoners are being vaccinated at the same time as the general public and in line with the priority groups set out by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation."

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