ITV viewers left 'feeling physically sick' after paedophile documentary proves to be 'tough watch'
Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.
ITV viewers have been left 'feeling physically sick' after a brand-new documentary all about one of the most notorious paedophiles in the UK which is clearly proving to be a 'tough watch' for many.
The feature-length documentary, titled Glitter: The Popstar Paedophile, aired just yesterday (22 April) gives viewers the very first detailed up-to-date telling of the 'dark double life' of Gary Glitter.
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Once an 'iconic performer', Glitter, real name Paul Gadd, was later exposed as a predatory child abuser and the ITV doc highlights exactly how he was able to 'evade justice' for decades - which let him travel abroad and continue offending.
The doc goes into detail about Glitter's horrific crimes both in the UK and across the globe using a mix of archive interviews with those who met in the industry and historical victim testimony as well as lawyers involved in both the prosecution and defence of the disgraced singer during the various trials he faced throughout the decades.
Back in 1997, Glitter was finally arrested when graphic child pornography was found on his computer after he brought into a PC World based in Bristol for repair.
His initial arrest would eventually lead to him being charged with sexual assault of children.
However, he was not convicted of the sexual abuse charges relating to children in this particular trial and was was only found guilty of the possession of child pornography.
After spending just a matter of months in jail, Glitter jetted off to Southeast Asia where he continued to abuse children in Cambodia and Vietnam.
He was subsequently arrested in Vietnam and, in 2006, Glitter was finally convicted of committing sexual assaults on two Vietnamese children.
If Glitter had been convicted of the previous sexual assault charges in the UK back in his 1999 trial, it is likely that he would not have been able to travel to Southeast Asia to abuse more children there.
He returned to the UK after serving nearly three years in a Vietnamese jail and became the first person to be arrested under Operation Yewtree, a British police investigation into sexual abuse allegations, predominantly the abuse of children, against Jimmy Savile and others, in 2012.
There, he was charged with the historical sexual abuse of three children between 1975 and 1980.
Just three years later, in 2015, he was convicted of attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault and one of having sex with a girl under the age of 13.
In 2023, just a matter of weeks after he was released from prison after serving half of a 16-year sentence for sucg crimes, Glitter was returned to prison for violating the conditions of his licence.
Viewers have since rushed to social media to share their thoughts after watching the doc with one X, formerly Twitter user writing: "I feel physically sick after watching that documentary. Hope the sick paedo rots in hell."
"The Gary Glitter programme is a tough watch. To think he was a hero when I was a kid," penned a second.
A third tweeted: "My God that Gary Glitter documentary on ITV is vile, what a revolting piece of sh*t. Can't even look at him!"
"Glitter: The Popstar Paedophile basically hiding in plain sight. Disturbing," added a fourth, while a final Twitter user revealed: "Watching Glitter: The Popstar Paedophile and feeling quite sick. How did these sick f**kers get away with this in broad daylight?"
Full timeline of Gary Glitter's sexual offences:
1997
A computer engineer finds thousands of child porn images on Gadd’s laptop while servicing it.
1999
Gadd pleads guilty to 54 offences of making indecent photographs of children under 16. He's jailed for four months.
2006
Glitter is convicted of sexually abusing two Vietnamese girls, aged 10 and 11. He's sentenced to three years in jail.
2008
Gadd is ordered to return to the UK after spending two-and-a-half years in jail.
2012
Gadd becomes the first person to be arrested under the Metropolitan Police’s Operation Yewtree.
2014
Glitter is charged with eight counts of sexual offences, which later becomes 10 counts.
2015
He is found guilty of one count of attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13. Gadd is jailed for 16 years.
2023
He is released from HMP The Verne in Portland, Dorset, after eight years behind bars.
2023
The singer is back behind bars after a breach of his licence conditions.
2024
Gadd is refused parole by the board.
Glitter: The Popstar Paedophile is available to watch on ITV1 and ITVX.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.
Topics: ITV, TV And Film, UK News, News, Documentaries, Crime
Rhiannon Ingle