Gary Glitter charged with historical sexual offences against a child

Gary Glitter charged with historical sexual offences against a child

Former pop star Gary Glitter has been charged with historical sexual offences against a child, according to the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

The musician, whose real name is Paul Gadd, faces one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 and three counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14. The charges stem from allegations made by a woman regarding a period of abuse that took place between 1978 and 1981. The offences are said to have occurred at a residential address in Kensington, London.

Bethan David, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor at the CPS in London, confirmed the decision to prosecute.

"The Crown Prosecution Service has decided to prosecute Paul Gadd with one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 and three counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14."

Bethan David, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service in London, via faroutmagazine.co.uk

David stated that prosecutors worked to ensure there was sufficient evidence to bring the case to court and determined that doing so was in the public interest. She added that the CPS worked closely with the Metropolitan Police during the investigation.

The current legal proceedings follow a timeline that began on January 9, 2025, when the allegations were first reported to the Metropolitan Police. Following the launch of an investigation, Gadd was brought in for questioning on July 22, 2025. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that the victim is being supported by specialist officers and has been informed of the update.

Gadd, now 82, is currently being held at HMP Cannings Wood in Devon. He is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on August 5.

Because proceedings are now active, David warned that the defendant has a right to a fair trial, stating it is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.

Gadd's career began under the name Paul Raven before he adopted the persona of Gary Glitter in the 1960s. He achieved significant fame with hits including Rock and Roll, I Love You Love Me Love, and Do You Wanna Touch Me. His 1984 song Another Rock and Roll Christmas further increased his stardom; in total, he spent 180 weeks in the U.K. Singles Chart and sold over 20 million records.

His public standing collapsed in 1997 when he was convicted and imprisoned for downloading thousands of child pornography videos and images. This began a period of legal troubles and deportations. In 2002, he was deported from Cambodia over alleged child sex abuse charges and moved to Vietnam, where a court found him guilty of obscene acts with minors in 2006.

Upon returning to the U.K. And being placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register, Gadd was arrested in October 2012 as part of Operation Yewtree. This Met Police investigation into child sex abuse by media figures was triggered by the Jimmy Savile scandal. Gadd was the first person arrested during the operation.

In 2015, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison after being found guilty of four counts of indecent assault, one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13, and one count of attempted rape. These offences involved three schoolgirls between 1975 and 1980. His sentence is set to expire in 2031.

Gadd was released on license in February 2023 from HMP The Verne, a low-security prison in Dorset, after serving half of his fixed-term determinate sentence. However, he was recalled to prison in March 2023 after police monitoring indicated he had breached his license conditions. A bid for parole was denied in 2025.