MINOR REDUCTION FOR PERV GLITTER

In January 2000, Gary Glitter, 62, was found guilty of storing more than 4,000 images of child pornography on his computer.  After serving half of a four month sentence for collecting the hard core child pornography, fallen glam rock star Glitter, convicted under his real name, Paul Gadd, left prison in 2000.  All prisoners given sentences of less than four years only ever serve half their term.  The trial in November 1999 cleared Glitter of eight charges of indecent assault and sodomy dating from 1980.

In December 2005, Glitter was under investigation in Vietnam for allegedly raping kids.  If formally charged and convicted, he could face the death penalty. He was already accused a week before of engaging in perverse activities with children and ordered to remain in custody pending further investigation.  An investigator said the inquiry into more serious charges was based on medical tests on girls, including two who had been younger than 13, who alleged they had had sex with him.

As of December 27, Vietnamese police will formally charge Glitter with child molestation and drop an additional charge of child rape.  Police have said medical tests on girls who alleged they had had sex with him led them to look into the more serious charges of raping children which can carry the death penalty.

Glitter has paid $2,000 each to the two Vietnamese families of the girls he is accused of sexually abusing to get them to ask cops to drop the case against him.  Rape charges involving the two girls, ages 11 and 12, were recently dropped but he still is under suspicion of committing lewd acts with children.  He faces up to 12 years in jail if found guilty.

Glitter went on trial March 2, 2006, on charges of committing obscene acts with the two underaged girls.  The court found that Glitter had molested the girls and sentenced him to three years.  He insisted he was innocent.  On his release, he will be definitely deported but it is not guaranteed that he will return to the UK where he could face more charges in Britain.  In addition to the prison sentence, Glitter has been ordered to pay 5m Vietnamese dong (E180/$315) to his victims' families.  Glitter may be considered for release after serving a third of his jail term, which includes the four months he has been held in custody since his arrest.

On June 15, 2006, a court in Vietnam turned down an appeal by Glitter, now 62, against the child molestation charges and ordered him to serve the three year sentence followed by deportation.

A Vietnam court reduced Glitter's child-molestation sentence on February 7, 2007, cutting his three-year term by three months as part of a nationwide Lunar New Year prison amnesty.  He will now be released in August 2008.

(Hanoi, Vietnam)