Gary Glitter Gets 3-Year Sentence

[MarcO]

Glitter jailed for abusing young girls (Guardian Unlimited)

James Sturcke and agencies

Friday March 3, 2006

Guardian Unlimited

The former glam rock star Gary Glitter was sentenced to three years in jail today by a Vietnamese court for sexually molesting two girls.

Glitter, 61, real name Paul Gadd, was convicted after a day-long trial that was closed to the public because it involved children. The judge and two-strong jury heard he had kissed and fondled "D", aged 11 and "Ng", aged 10.

Upon hearing the sentence - the minimum permissible under local laws - Glitter once again protested his innocence and accused the media of waging a conspiracy against him.

The court ordered that he be deported to Britain, his native country, after completing his prison sentence. He has 15 days to appeal.

Le Thanh Kinh, Glitter's lawyer, said he would be eligible for parole in a year, after serving one-third of his time. He has already spent four months in custody in Phuoc Co prison after being arrested in November in Ho Chi Minh City as he was about to board a flight out of Vietnam.

British authorities are likely to be informed "as a matter of courtesy" when Glitter is deported. He would also be placed back on the UK sex offenders register, to which his name was added in 1999 when he was jailed for two months after admitting possessing a collection of 4,000 hardcore photographs of children being abused.

Glitter, wearing a black shirt and red bandana, was led into a packed court in the resort of Vung Tau, about 80 miles south-east of Ho Chi Minh City, to hear the verdict.

Bald, apart from an eastern Asian-style ponytail, a whitening moustache and goatee beard, he appeared to strain to understand the verdict being delivered.

At one point, Glitter put a cupped palm of his hand around his ear in an attempt to hear better. The smiles and apparent light-heartedness with which he faced yesterday's trial evaporated as the judge, Hoang Thanh Tung, began summing up.

Abuse

The judge told Glitter that he abused the girls in his Vung Tau home before being arrested at an airport while trying to flee the country last November, since when the disgraced star has been in prison.

"The court announces that Gary Glitter has committed the offence of sex acts with children and convicts Gary Glitter to three years in prison," the judge said, adding that investigators had found pornographic images of children on the defendant's computer.

"Caring for children is to care for our future ... but Gary Glitter's acts went against this," the judge said. "He sexually abused and committed obscene acts with children many times in a disgusting and sick manner."

He ordered the confiscation of Glitter's computer and that he pay each family 5m Vietnamese dong (£180) compensation and 50,000 dong in court costs.

As the judge finished his delivery, Glitter leaned towards a microphone and claimed that he had been framed.

"I have not done anything," he said. "I am innocent. It is a conspiracy by you know who." To reporters' shouts of "who are you talking about?", Glitter claimed it was a media conspiracy.

The defence team had claimed that Glitter was teaching the girls English, but the state's case was supported by three witnesses in addition to the two victims.

Hoang Thi Bong, 18, who officials described as a prostitute living with Glitter at the time of the incidents, Glitter's maid Nguyen Thi Anh, and Tran Thi Kim Oanh, all testified for the prosecution.

Ms Oanh was D's aunt who, according to officials, took the girl from her home in Can Tho province 190 miles away to Glitter for sex. Ng, who is thought to have been pimped by one of her relatives, lives in Vung Tau.

Molested

The court, in its verdict, cited graphic testimony from the girls that Glitter had fondled and molested them numerous times in his rented home and in nearby hotels.

One girl said he had ejaculated on her stomach, while the other girl said he made her urinate on him. The revelations drew gasps from the public gallery.

Police had earlier considered child rape charges, punishable by death by firing squad, against Glitter but said there was insufficient evidence.

Afterwards, British children's campaigners welcomed the conviction. "We are pleased that justice has been done and he has been found guilty, but it is disappointing that he did not receive the maximum sentence," said Christine Beddoe of the charity End Child Prostitution, Pornography and Trafficking.

"We hope that the British authorities will take time to investigate other allegations that could lead to charges when he returns to the UK."

A spokeswoman for the NSPCC said a legal loophole on sex tourism abroad needed to be closed so that more offenders could be prosecuted. "Sex exploitation is horrific. Sex offenders must be brought to justice no matter what country they abuse children in," she said.

"However, we need to ensure that UK nationals who escape prosecution overseas are brought to justice if they return to this country, under the Sex Offences Act 2003."

Upon his release, he moved first to Cuba before travelling to south-east Asia. He was expelled from Cambodia in 2002 over allegations of child sex abuse but was never charged.

[The Chameleon]

Good! This dude needs to be stopped.

I sentance him to stay overnight at Micheal Jackson's house!

[boiler]

What can you say about something like this? I think everyone can join me in a collective *yaaackkk*. This is totally disgusting.

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

Nice eyebrows. And what's with the Ho Chi Minh look?

Yeah, see ya.

: shudder :

[Super Freak]

This kind of shit can put me into a murderous rage. As punishment I would torture him and then as desert, feed him his own cock- and make him chew it and say "thank you mistress, may I have another bite?"...I fucking HATE child abusers--pussy coward fucks...

[Tooly]

i too hate molesters, fucking SHITHEADS all deserve what they get.

i cant see vietnamese jails being too politically correct. hopefully he gets whats coming to him, usually i dont wish harm on anyone but fuck molesters, fuck them all from the bottom of my heart

the wolrd would be better off without them.

Edited March 3, 2006 by Guest

[StoneMtn]

I am glad he was convicted. I hope he does the full sentence, which I believe in Asian countries is really what happens; no early parole; nothin'.

Edited March 3, 2006 by Guest
Tooly rocks.

[zero]

"The court announces that Gary Glitter has committed the offence of sex acts with children and convicts Gary Glitter to three years in prison,"

I have no doubt he did it but does anyone else find it strange that the judge refers to him as Gary Glitter and not Paul Gadd, that seems quite odd to me and something of a media stunt if you like.

[Tooly]

yeah, bad choice of words, i know, and edited.

sorry if i offended

[MarcO]

It is reassuring to know that in most prison societies, child perverts like this fuckwad tend to receive, um, "special attention" from the other inmates. I hope the same holds true in this case and I hope the other inmates have lots of fun, hopefully with "Rock & Roll Pt 2" playing in the background the whole sordid time. Take him boys, he's yours now. Have a grand 'ole time and don't stop 'till you're satisfied.

[Tooly]

It is reassuring to know that in most prison societies, child perverts like this fuckwad tend to receive, um, "special attention" from the other inmates. I hope the same holds true in this case and I hope the other inmates have lots of fun, hopefully with "Rock & Roll Pt 2" playing in the background the whole sordid time. Take him boys, he's yours now. Have a grand 'ole time and don't stop 'till you're satisfied.

DAMN STRAIGHT