Gary Glitter, once a chart-dominating figure in British pop, has been charged with four sexual offences involving a girl, with the allegations dating back to 1978.
The 82-year-old, whose real name is Paul Gadd, faces one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 and three counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14, according to Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service.
Bethan David, deputy chief crown prosecutor at CPS London, said: “This follows allegations made by a woman relating to a period of alleged abuse that took place between 1978 and 1981.
“Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court and that it is in the public interest to do so.
Glitter, of HMP Channings Wood, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in central London on 5 August.
The Metropolitan Police said the allegations were first reported to officers on 9 January last year, and that the former glam rock singer was interviewed on 22 July 2025 as part of the investigation.
“The victim is currently being supported by specialist officers and they have been made aware of this update,” the force said.
The Met said: “The charges relate to one victim, and the offences are alleged to have taken place between the years of 1978-1981 at a residential address in Kensington.”
It added: “The victim is currently being supported by specialist officers, and they have been made aware of this update.”
Glitter was once among the biggest names of his era, selling 18 million records over five years in the early 1970s and finding success on both sides of the Atlantic with hits including Rock And Roll (Parts One And Two), I’m The Leader Of The Gang (I Am) and Do You Wanna Touch Me.
But the glam boom faded quickly, and by the end of the decade Glitter had gone bankrupt. Despite several attempted comebacks, his final UK top 40 hit came in 1984 with Another Rock And Roll Christmas.
