Gary Glitter, the former pop star, was discharged from jail in England after serving half of a 16-year sentence for the sexual abuse of three minors in the 1970s.
On Friday, the 79-year-old artist, whose real name is Paul Gadd, was released from a prison in Dorset, located in the southwestern part of England.
In accordance with U.K. regulations, offenders are commonly released after serving half of their sentences, at which point they are placed under probation. The Ministry of Justice stated in an official statement that “sex offenders, such as Paul Gadd, are constantly monitored by the police and the Probation Service and are subject to the strictest conditions of release, including the use of GPS tracking devices. Should the offender violate these conditions, they can be returned to prison.”
Gary Glitter was convicted of a single charge of attempted rape, four charges of indecent assault, and one charge of sexual intercourse with a minor under the age of 13. He was taken into custody in October 2012 as part of Operation Yewtree, the nationwide investigation launched in response to the child abuse scandal surrounding the late BBC personality Jimmy Savile.
Despite his past success, the singer is now infamous for his child abuse convictions, including those in Vietnam. Glitter is most renowned for his hit song “Rock & Roll (Part 2)” released in 1972.