Gary Glitter LIVE: Paedophile popstar JAILED for 16 YEARS for sex attacks on young girls

GARY Glitter has today been jailed for 16 years for a string of historic sex attacks against young girls, committed at the height of his fame.

The judge told him his crimes were "truly appalling" and had caused "real and lasting damage."

The shamed singer faces the real prospect of dying behind bars after he was sentenced for one count of attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault, and one count of sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13.

The monster used his stardom to prey on three girls, wowing them with his celebrity and wealth before using them for his own sexual gratification in the 1970s and 1980s.

Gary GlitterPA

Gary Glitter has been sentenced to 16 years in jail

Glitter, of Marylebone, central London, crept into the bed of a girl under the age of ten and tried to rape her in 1975. 

The woman now in her 40s told the court how a drunk and reeking of alcohol and tobacco Glitter forced himself on her as she lay sleeping next to a friend after a dinner party.

Fighting back tears, she told jurors she was only able to avoid being raped by falling into the "cocoon" formed by her bedsheets being tucked under the mattress.

The attempted rape had caused the girl a "great deal of pain" but Glitter  - then in his 30s - behaved as if nothing had happened and even gave her an Easter egg as treat the next day, the court heard.

It was more than two decades before the victim went to police with her claims but she found the courage after Glitter was jailed for four months child pornography charges in 1999. 

Artist sketch of fan waving to Glitter as he down to the cells  Priscilla Coleman/MB Media

Artist sketch of a fan waving to Glitter as he down to the cells

The singer, who had a long career stretching from the 1960s to the 1980s, also preyed on young fans taken to see him in concert.

On another occasion, the glam rocker lured a 12-year-old back to his hotel suite after he performed in Leicester in 1977. Her mother was led away by Glitter's staff while the terrified youngster was pushed onto a bed and subjected her to a prolonged period of sexual abuse.

The girl tried to push the naked singer away, but as she lifted her hands, he shouted at her not to touch his hair, telling her he had a "phobia."

The following morning he told the girl: "You are a really clever girl, you got dressed before your mum came in."

GARY GLITTER SENTENCING LIVE: SCROLL DOWN FOR LIVE UPDATES

 

Glitter was sentenced to 16 years GETTY

Glitter was sentenced to 16 years

In the third case, Glitter molested a 13-year-old in his dressing room after she went backstage to see him following a gig in Watford in either 1979 or 1980.

The woman now aged 48 sobbed as she told the court how her mother and mother’s boyfriend – who worked in the music industry - took her to see her "idol" in his dressing room.

Once the girl was alone, the glam rock artist told her to sit on his lap, asked for a kiss before sexually assaulting her.

Sick Glitter told her it was their “secret” after molesting her.  

The 70-year-old disgraced star protested his innocence during his three-week trial, declaring through crocodile tears "I do not have a sexual interest in young children. I do not."

However the jury saw through his lies and after less than two days deliberation, Glitter was found guilty on February 5th. 

As he was jailed today, Judge Alistair McCreath told him his crimes were "truly appalling"

Gary GlitterPA

Gary Glitter reached his height in the 80s and 90s

He continued: "I have read the victim impact statements of all three victims. It is clear, in their different ways, they were all profoundly effected by your abuse of them.

"You did all of them real and lasting damage and you did so for no other reason than to obtain sexual gratification for yourself of a wholly improper kind."

He added: "The offences for which I must pass sentence today took place many years ago at a time when in particular, in respect of one of them, the maximum sentence was considerably lower than that which is now available."

He added: "You have in fact committed offences since those before me today, your conviction in 1998 for downloading images of children.

"Further I can find no real evidence that you have done anything in the intervening 40 or so years to atone for these crimes," he said.

One of his victims was at Southwark Crown Court, central London, to see his fate sealed. It was standing room only in the court room as several of Glitter's fans had gathered to see the shamed singer. Many huddled and chatted and one was seen reading an old copy of Jackie magazine featuring the singer. Several appeared open-mouthed when the judge delivered his sentence. 

Glitter was once a 'national treasure' but his downfall from grace began after he put his computer in for repair at PC World in Bristol in 1997.

Gary Glitter arriving at courtPA

Gary Glitter arriving at court

Glitter was cleared - to cheers from the public gallery - at Bristol Crown Court of having underage sex with a teenage fan in 1999.

But moments later he admitted 54 charges of downloading child porn and was jailed for four months.

He fled abroad, hoping to continue having sex with children in secret and was thrown out of Cambodia for suspected child abuse in 2002 after three years living in the country.

Glitter was later locked up for three years in Vietnam for lewd acts against two girls aged just 10 and 11 - but declared himself to be the victim of a witchhunt.

The singer faced seven years in jail but was granted a lighter sentence after paying $2,000 to each of the victim's families in 'compensation'.

Glitter in his heyday PA

Glitter in his heyday

His defence lawyer Sallie Bennett Jenkins told today's court sentencing that her client had been subjected to public "vilification" by his crimes and was a broken man. 

She said: "My Lord knows that as a consequence of the 'process' in the Far East that this defendant was subject to a very high degree of vilification, demonification in the press.

"The consequence of that is for the last decade unfortunately this man has led an increasingly isolated life.

"He has been unable to participate in, for example, even walking the streets without being the subject of vilification." 

She added Glitter had sought voluntarily sought help for his issues. 

Until his sordid past emerged, the singer was beloved by millions with dozens of pop hits under his belt including 'Rock and Roll", "Parts One and Two" and "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)".

Following the live sentencing here

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