Gary Glitter, former British pop star, convicted of child sex abuse, Rape and prostitution probe: 20 Tyneside men charged

Gary Glitter, former British pop star, convicted of child sex abuse
Gary Glitter — who is now 70 years old — could spend the rest of his life in prison. A London jury found him guilty of six crimes: one count of attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault and one count of unlawful sex with a girl under the age of 13, which carries a life sentence.
BY Meg Wagner  NEW YORK DAILY NEWS  Thursday, February 5, 2015

Former British glam rocker Gary Glitter was found guilty of sexually abusing against three young girls between 1975 and 1980.

The "Do You Wanna Touch Me?" singer — who is now 70 years old — could spend the rest of his life in prison, the Guardian reported....

The singer was first arrested in October 2012, the first in a series of arrests under Operation Yewtree, a national child abuse scandal investigation.

The one-time pop star was charged in June following a 20-month investigation. One of his victims was 8 years old when he tried to rape her in 1975. Two more were girls were 12 and 14 when he attacked. Some of the girls were his fans.

Glitter was cleared of three charges: two counts of indecent assault and one count of administering a drug to facilitate sexual intercourse. Still, the six other convictions could carry hefty prison time. The unlawful sex charge carries a life sentence....

The crimes sat unpunished for 40 years because of the "immunity of fame", prosecutors said....

His career peaked in the early 1970s. He is best known for "Rock & Roll (Part 2)," a hit in both the United States and Britain. He fell into disgrace after being convicted and imprisoned on child abuse charges in Vietnam.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/gary-glitter-pop-star-convicted-child-sex-abuse-article-1.2104387


Gary Glitter found guilty of child sex offences
Singer convicted of string of offences in 1970s and 1980s, including attempted rape of an eight-year-old child
Karen McVeigh Thursday 5 February 2015

Former Glam rock star Gary Glitter faces spending the remainder of his life in prison after being found guilty of a series of child sex offences on three young girls, aged between 8 and 13.

A jury of five men and seven women took two days to convict the flamboyant star, now 70, of six offences, committed in the 1970’s and 1980’s, including the attempted rape of an eight-year-old child and having unlawful sex with a 12-year-old girl, a charge which carries a life sentence.

Judge Alistair McCreath told him: “In light of verdicts, I am remanding him in custody.”

Glitter was cleared of two counts of indecent assault and one count of administering a drug or other thing in order to facilitate sexual intercourse. He will be sentenced on 27 February....

His predatory sexual offences against his child victims, including fans that helped propel him to stardom, went unpunished for 40 years because of the “immunity of fame”, the prosecution said during the trial.

However, that vanished after the singer’s fall from grace when he was found to have a “voracious” appetite for child abuse images. He was convicted in 1999 of building up a library of 4,000 such images, some involving children as young as two....

The jury did not hear about Gadd’s 2006 conviction and three-year prison sentence for molesting two girls aged 11 and 12, because it occurred in a Vietnam court, outside the jurisdiction of the UK....

His first victim, who first went to police in 1998, has faced a long wait for justice. A court decided that it was not at that time possible to try him for on charges related to her allegations.

Gadd was also tried in 1999 over the alleged sexual assault of a fourth teenage fan, a former girlfriend who said they began a sexual relationship when she was 14. He was acquitted after a controversial summing up, which drew complaints from children’s groups, in which the judge told the jury: “Some 14-year-olds look like sophisticated young ladies, a nightmare for many publicans.”....
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/feb/05/gary-glitter-guilty-child-sex-offences 


Rape and prostitution probe: 20 Tyneside men charged
5 February 2015
A huge investigation into sexual crimes against women and girls as young as 13 has resulted in 20 men being charged.

More than 100 potential victims have been interviewed as part of Northumbria Police's Operation Sanctuary.

Nineteen men appeared at Mid and South East Northumberland Magistrates' Court.

The charges brought include rape, arranging child prostitution, sex trafficking, sexual assault, supplying class A drugs and false imprisonment, relating to 12 women and girls....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-31151445


Northumbria Police have charged 20 people with sexual offences as part of Operation Sanctuary
5 February 2015 By Adam Luke
Northumbria Police Deputy Chief Constable Steve Ashman says it's the largest number of charges that they have placed before a court

Twenty more people have been charged with sexual offences as part of police’s Operation Sanctuary probe.

The charges follow the 13-month investigation into allegations of offences committed against vulnerable women and girls across the North East.

So far, 31 people have been charged as part of the operation and the latest charges relate to 12 victims, aged between 13 and 25....

“To date, this part of the investigation has involved speaking to over 100 potential complainants, a dozen of whom have been identified as victims in relation to today’s charges....
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/northumbria-police-charged-20-people-8587632