Paedophile pop star Gary Glitter freed from prison

Disgraced former pop star Gary Glitter has been freed from prison after serving half his 16-year jail term.

Glitter, 78, whose real name is Paul Gadd, was sentenced in 2015 for attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault and one of having sex with a girl under 13.

At the time, the judge said it was clear his victims "were all profoundly affected" by the abuse.

Glitter was one of the biggest music stars of the 1970s.

During sentencing, Judge Alistair McCreath said he could find "no real evidence that" Gadd had atoned for his crimes.

"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 said.

Gadd had been at the height of his fame when he attacked two girls aged 12 and 13 after inviting them backstage to his dressing room.

His youngest victim had been less than 10 years old when he crept into her bed and tried to rape her in 1975.

Judge McCreath described Gadd's abuse of a girl under 10 as "appalling" and said: "It is difficult to overstate the depravity of this dreadful behaviour."

Gadd had denied allegations against him but was found guilty after a trial lasting three weeks.

He had been held at HMP The Verne - a low security category C jail in Portland, Dorset - and was automatically freed halfway through his term. As a sex offender, he will now be subject to licence conditions.

The allegations against Gadd only came to light years later when he became the first person to be arrested under Operation Yewtree - the investigation launched by the Met in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal.

Det Ch Insp Michael Orchard, from Operation Yewtree, said Gadd was a "habitual sexual predator who took advantage of the star status afforded to him".

Gadd, performing as Gary Glitter, was one of the UK's biggest glam rock stars of the 1970s, with three UK number ones, including I'm the Leader of the Gang (I am!).