Gary Glitter Pleads Not Guilty: Who Is the Former Pop Star and What Are the Charges Against Him?
Former British pop star Paul Gadd, better known by his stage name Gary Glitter, pleaded not guilty in a London court Wednesday to eight charges of historical sex offenses against a girl.
Gadd, 82, appeared via video link from prison at Southwark Crown Court to deny four charges of indecent assault, two counts of indecency with a child, and two counts of sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13. He said he was “absolutely not guilty” to two of the eight charges and repeated “not guilty” to the remaining six.
Judge Tony Baumgartner scheduled a three-week trial to begin Nov. 22, 2027. The charges relate to a single individual and allegations of incidents that authorities say took place at Gadd’s former home in London’s Kensington neighborhood between March 1978 and December 1981, when the alleged victim was between 8 and 11 years old.
Who Is Gary Glitter?
Paul Gadd rose to fame in the early 1970s under the stage name Gary Glitter, becoming one of the biggest glam-rock stars of the decade. He is best known for hits including “Rock and Roll (Parts One and Two),” “I’m the Leader of the Gang (I Am)” and “Do You Wanna Touch Me.” His final UK top 40 appearance came in 1984 with “Another Rock and Roll Christmas.”
The Charges He’s Currently Facing
Prosecutors allege Gadd gave the girl chocolate and invited her to his Kensington home, where he is accused of causing her to touch him inappropriately and engaging in unlawful sexual contact with her. Gadd denies all eight charges. The Metropolitan Police said the allegations were first reported on Jan. 9, 2025, prompting an investigation. Gadd was interviewed in connection with the case on July 22, 2025. Police said the alleged victim is being supported by specialist officers and has been made aware that Gadd has been charged.
His Previous Convictions
This is not Gadd’s first criminal case tied to child sex offenses. In 1999, he served two months in jail in the U.K. for possession of child abuse images. In 2006, a Vietnamese court convicted him on charges involving two girls aged 10 and 11, sentencing him to four years in prison; he was deported back to the U.K. after his release.
In 2015, Gadd was convicted at Southwark Crown Court of attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual intercourse with a girl under 13, all stemming from offenses in the 1970s against three separate girls. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison. That case was part of Operation Yewtree, the wider U.K. police investigation into historical sex abuse allegations against entertainment figures that followed revelations about the late BBC presenter Jimmy Savile.
Gadd will remain in custody ahead of his trial, currently set to begin Nov. 22, 2027, and expected to last approximately three weeks.
