Gary Glitter, Disgraced Former Pop Star and Convicted Child Molester, Ordered to Pay Over $600,000 to Victim
The musician was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2015 for sexually abusing three young girls in the 1970s
Disgraced musician and convicted child molester Gary Glitter has been ordered to pay over $600,000 in damages to one of his abuse victims
"Whilst no amount of money can make up for horrific sexual abuse, the award at least goes some way to recognizing the devastation inflicted on my client throughout her childhood and adult life," the victim's solicitor said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE
Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, received a 16-year prison sentence in 2015 for sexually abusing three young girls in the 1970s
Disgraced English pop star and convicted child molester Gary Glitter has been ordered to pay over $648,000 in damages to one of his sexual abuse victims.
The singer, 80, whose real name is Paul Gadd, received a 16-year sentence in 2015 for sexually abusing three young girls between 1975 and 1980.
On Tuesday, June 11, High Court judge Mrs. Justice Tipples ordered the musician to pay the victim —who was 12-years-old at the time of the abuse — £508,800 (approximately $648,232); including around $485,634 in lost earnings, and almost $10,000 toward therapy and treatment, per The Guardian.
Richard Scorer, Head of Abuse Law at Slater & Gordon who acts for the claimant, said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, “In making this award the court has properly acknowledged the appalling abuse suffered by my client. Whilst no amount of money can make up for horrific sexual abuse, the award at least goes some way to recognizing the devastation inflicted on my client throughout her childhood and adult life."
"Gadd’s refusal to engage with the process merely proves his utter lack of remorse, something we will be reminding the parole board about if he makes another application for early release. We will be pursuing Gadd for payment and will continue to support our client through this process," the statement added.
“There is no doubt that the claimant was subject to sexual abuse of the most serious kind by the defendant when she was only 12 years old and that has had a very significant adverse impact on the rest of her life,” the judge said, per The Guardian.
According to The Independent and Sky News, a March hearing heard that the victim couldn't work for several decades after suffering the abuse.
Barrister Jonathan Metzer told the court of his client this week, “One can only begin to imagine the profound pain felt by someone who has experienced such shocking abuse … then suffered from feelings of shame and worthlessness," according to The Independent, adding that she'd been "plagued by thoughts of self-blame."
Metzer added, “You may have concluded that his status as a rock star created a substantial imbalance of power that he exploited."
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“There was an abuse of trust … her mother was beguiled by the defendant,” he continued, per the outlet.
Gadd's sentence expires in February 2031. According toThe Independent, Gadd did not attend the June 11 hearing, and he was not being represented by a lawyer.
PEOPLE previously reported that the "I'm the Leader of the Gang" singer had been released from jail early in February 2023 after serving half of his sentence. However, he was ordered to return to prison the following month after allegedly violating his probation.
Gadd was released under the condition that he would be closely monitored by the police and probation officers.
Per The Guardian, Gadd's return to prison came just days after a photo emerged of him using a smartphone and reportedly asking how to access the "dark web."
In 2015, Gadd was found guilty of one count of attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault and one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13, The Guardian previously reported.
He was a well-known pop star in the 1970s when he attacked two girls, then 12 and 13 years-old, in his dressing room after isolating them from their mothers, the outlet reported. In 1975, he attempted to rape his third victim, who was younger than 10, after crawling into her bed.
The abuse allegations against the singer were made 40 years later when he became the first person to be arrested under Operation Yewtree, an investigation launched by the Metropolitan Police.
In the late 1990s, he served two months in jail after admitting to possessing 4,000 images of child pornography. In 2006, he was sentenced to three years in prison in Vietnam for molesting two underage girls.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
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