Disgraced paedophile pop star Gary Glitter will remain behind bars for at least another two years after finally admitting he poses a danger to young girls.
Glitter, 81, “continues to display an uncontrolled interest in pre-pubescent children”, the Parole Board said.
He was jailed for 16 years in 2015 for sexually abusing three schoolgirls between 1975 and 1980.
Glitter had been automatically released from HMP The Verne, a low-security prison in Portland, Dorset, in February 2023 after serving half of his fixed-term determinate sentence.
Less than six weeks after walking free, he was put back behind bars when police monitoring showed he had breached his licence conditions by reportedly trying to access the dark web and viewing downloaded images of children.
On Thursday, the Parole Board published its reasons for not releasing Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, after a paper review.
According to the Daily Mirror, it said: “In the panel’s assessment, Mr Gadd continues to display an uncontrolled interest in pre-pubescent children.
“It noted that he had accepted that he should not be released at this time and would need to engage with offence-focused work in prison.
“After considering the full details of the case, the panel was not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public.”
A Parole Board spokesman said earlier this week: “We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board refused the release of Paul Gadd following a paper review.
“Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.
“A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims.”
Parole judges review the cases of criminals who are recalled to prison to decide whether they should be re-released or stay behind bars for the rest of their sentence.
Glitter’s last parole hearing happened in January 2024. If the Parole Board does not recommend him for release in future, he will walk free when his sentence expires in February 2031.
“Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority,” the Parole Board spokesman added.
“Under current legislation he will be eligible for a further review in due course. The date of the next review will be set by the Ministry of Justice.”
In April, Glitter was made bankrupt after failing to pay more than £500,000 in damages to one of his victims, her lawyers said.
It means a trustee can now take over Glitter’s assets, including his £2million penthouse in central London, and use them to pay a woman he raped when she was 12.
Richard Scorer, head of abuse law and public inquiries at Slater and Gordon – who represents one of Glitter’s victims, said the decision is “absolutely right” but warned of the “nightmare” his client faces each time the 81-year-old is up for review.
“The decision made by the parole board is absolutely right,” Mr Scorer said.
“My client is relieved at this ruling but is understandably apprehensive about the continued nightmare of Gadd coming up for parole again, and the fear of him being let out on licence.
“This is unfair on victims and it would be better if our clients could be assured that he would serve the rest of his sentence.”
Glitter sold millions of records in the 1970s and is believed to get cash as a songwriter each time his songs are played on radio, TV or at a sports event.
By 2013, he had reportedly earned £1million alone from the 1995 Oasis track Hello, which uses part of his song Hello, Hello, I’m Back Again.
Glitter served two-and-a-half years in a Vietnam jail from 2006 for sexually abusing two girls, aged 10 and 11.
