By Samantha Jones-
Disgraced paedophile and 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.
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At the time, the judge said it was clear his victims “were all profoundly affected” by the abuse.
One of the biggest music stars of the 1970s, Glitter was held at HMP The Verne – a low security category C jail in Portland, Dorset – and was automatically freed halfway through his term.
The sex offender will now be subject to licence conditions.
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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.
During sentencing, Judge Alistair McCreath said he could find “no real evidence that” Gadd had atoned for his crimes.
He described Gadd’s abuse of a girl under 10 as “appalling” and said: “It is difficult to overstate the depravity of this dreadful behaviour.”
“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,” Judge McCreath said.
Gadd had denied allegations against him but was found guilty after a trial lasting three weeks.
The allegations against the paedo came to light when he became the first person to be arrested under Operation Yewtree – the investigation launched by the Met in 2012 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, who stood accused of kissing, fondling and engaging in other sexual acts with the girls, evaded more serious charges of child rape, which carried a maximum penalty of death by firing squad.
On his return to the UK in 2008, the former pop star was ordered to sign the sex offenders register.
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