Glitter is jailed for 4,000 child pornography images
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Your support makes all the difference.The Glam Rock star Gary Glitter was jailed for four months yesterday for possessing what was described as some of the most vile child pornography ever uncovered. Two hours earlier, he had been cleared of sexually assaulting a young fan.
The Glam Rock star Gary Glitter was jailed for four months yesterday for possessing what was described as some of the most vile child pornography ever uncovered. Two hours earlier, he had been cleared of sexually assaulting a young fan.
A jury at Bristol Crown Court acquitted the 55-year-old singer of eight counts of abusing a 14-year-old girl, after hearing that the alleged victim would be paid £25,000 by a Sunday newspaper if he was convicted. Glitter - charged under his real name of Paul Francis Gadd - had denied the eight sex assault charges, which related to alleged incidents in 1980-82.
The decision to clear Glitter, by a majority verdict, sparked calls for legislation to be introduced to ban the payment of witnesses in court cases.
At a second hearing after he was cleared of the assault, the court learnt of Glitter's "voracious" interest in child pornography. He pleaded guilty to 54 offences of making indecent photographs of children. Some 4,000 pictures were involved.
Mr Justice Butterfield said the nature of the pornography was of "the very, very, worst possible type". The material, culled from the Internet, included images of children as young as two being "bound, tortured, gagged and sexually abused", he said.
Glitter plans to appeal against the sentence.
The Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine of Lairg, is to examine the Glitter case in a review of the Contempt of Court Act. The Press Complaints Commission also announced it will investigate payments allegedly made by the News of the World to the woman witness in the trial.
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