Disgraced paedophile pop star Gary Glitter will not be freed from jail, as his bid for parole was rejected.
The decision was revealed by the Parole Board on Tuesday, after Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, made a plea to be released in a paper review.
Glitter, 81, was jailed for 16 years in 2015 for sexually abusing three schoolgirls between 1975 and 1980.
He was automatically released from HMP The Verne, a low-security prison in Portland, Dorset, in 2023 after serving half of his sentence.
But he was back behind bars less than six weeks later after he breached his licensing conditions.
Police monitoring showed he had reportedly tried to access the dark web and viewed downloaded images of children.
Parole judges review the cases of criminals who are recalled to prison to decide whether they should be re-released or stay behind bars for the rest of their sentence.
A spokesman for the Parole Board said on Tuesday: “We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board refused the release of Paul Gadd following a paper review.
“Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.
“A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims.”
“Under current legislation he will be eligible for a further review in due course. The date of the next review will be set by the Ministry of Justice.”
Glitter’s last parole hearing happened in January 2024.
If the Parole Board does not recommend him for release in future, he will walk free when his sentence expires in February 2031.
“Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority,” the Parole Board spokesman added.
Richard Scorer, head of abuse law and public inquiries at Slater and Gordon, who represents one of Glitter’s victims, said the decision is “absolutely right” but warned of the “nightmare” his client faces each time the 81-year-old is up for review.
“The decision made by the parole board is absolutely right,” Mr Scorer said.
“My client is relieved at this ruling but is understandably apprehensive about the continued nightmare of Gadd coming up for parole again, and the fear of him being let out on licence.
“This is unfair on victims and it would be better if our clients could be assured that he would serve the rest of his sentence.”
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