During the 1970s, when Glitter's music career was thriving, he was also secretly preying on young and vulnerable victims, some of whom were just 12 years old.

Glitter's crimes eventually caught up with him, and he was convicted of possessing child pornography, leading to imprisonment in both the UK and abroad for his horrific sexual assaults on underage girls.

Now 81, Glitter is said to be in declining health, with fellow inmates believing he will likely spend the remainder of his life in prison, despite being released briefly in February 2023 before being recalled for violating his parole conditions.

This look into Glitter's life and crimes comes as he remains incarcerated, a stark contrast to his heyday as a rock star, known for his flamboyant stage presence and hit songs.

Glitter's rise to fame began in the early 1970s, as he embraced the glam rock movement, donning elaborate costumes and makeup, which became a hallmark of his performances.

Born Paul Francis Gadd on May 8, 1944, in Banbury, Oxfordshire, Glitter's early life was marked by instability and a lack of paternal presence, with his mother and grandmother struggling to care for him and his brother.

At the age of 10, Glitter and his brother were placed into care, an experience that would shape his future behavior, as he became known for his rebellious streak, often running away to London to perform in clubs at the tender age of 12.

Years later, during his trial for possessing child abuse images, Glitter would claim that he had been a victim of abuse himself as a child, suggesting this as a factor in his actions, as he tried to 'work through his feelings'.

Glitter narrowly escaped the death penalty, a punishment that could have been levied against him due to the severity of his crimes, particularly in the countries where he committed them.

Behind the glamorous facade of his music career, a darker reality was unfolding, one that would eventually lead to his downfall, starting with the discovery of thousands of child sex abuse images on his computer in 1997.

The engineer who found these disturbing images reported them to the police, leading to Glitter's arrest and subsequent conviction in 1999 for making indecent photographs of children under 16, for which he served only two months of a four-month sentence.

Upon his release from prison in January 2000, Glitter left the UK, traveling to several countries including Spain, Cuba, and Cambodia, where he faced allegations of sex crimes, leading to his expulsion from the country.

Glitter continued his nomadic lifestyle, moving to Thailand in 2002 and later to the Vietnamese coastal resort of Vung Tau, where he attempted to keep a low profile, but his past eventually caught up with him.

In 2015, Glitter was sentenced to 16 years in prison for sex crimes committed in the 1970s, a conviction that marked a significant turning point in his life, as the full extent of his abuses began to come to light.

In 2006, Glitter stood trial in Vietnam, accused of engaging in sexual acts with two young girls, aged 10 and 11, charges that could have resulted in the death penalty, but he was sentenced to three years in prison instead.

Following his release from Vietnamese prison in 2008, Glitter was ordered to return to the UK, where he would eventually face further charges related to his sexual abuse of minors.

The investigation into Glitter's crimes was part of a broader operation, known as Operation Yewtree, which was launched in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal to uncover and prosecute sexual abuses committed by celebrities and media personalities.

Glitter was the first person to be arrested under Operation Yewtree in 2012, charged with 10 counts of sexual offenses against three girls, aged 10, 12, and 13, whom he had invited backstage to his dressing room in the 1970s.

At the height of his fame, Glitter was 28, and his charismatic stage presence belied the darker reality of his personal life, which was marked by the exploitation and abuse of young girls.

In 2015, after standing trial at Southwark Crown Court, Glitter was found guilty of attempted rape, indecent assault, and sexual intercourse with a girl under 13, for which he received a 16-year prison sentence.

Glitter attempted to appeal his conviction but was unsuccessful, with the court upholding the original verdict and sentence, a decision that reflected the severity of his crimes.

During his sentencing, Judge Alistair McCreath noted that Glitter's victims had been profoundly affected by his abuse, and while Glitter had sought professional help, he had never fully acknowledged the harm he had caused.

In a more recent development, Glitter was ordered to pay over £500,000 in damages to one of his victims, a woman who was abused by him between 1975 and 1980, and had suffered long-lasting psychological trauma as a result.

The judge in this civil case emphasized the seriousness of the abuse and its lasting impact on the victim, who had felt 'humiliated' and 'controlled' by Glitter, leading to feelings of shame and self-loathing.

The victim's testimony included details of how she would try to scrub her skin in the bath, even using a pumice stone to try and remove the feeling of Glitter's abuse, a poignant illustration of the deep psychological scars left by his actions.

For those who have experienced sexual abuse or assault, there are resources available, such as Rape Crisis England & Wales, which provides a 24-hour support line for victims, a safe space to talk and seek help.

The support line, available at 0808 500 2222, offers confidential and non-judgmental support to anyone who has been affected by sexual violence, regardless of when the incident occurred.

Glitter's story serves as a stark reminder of the long-term effects of sexual abuse and the importance of holding perpetrators accountable for their actions, as well as providing support and justice to their victims.