Gary Glitter will be out of prison next year

Gary Glitter, convicted of sex crimes against minors, will be released from prison early next year, according to new information.

In February 2015, Glitter was jailed for 16 years after being found guilty of abuse crimes dating back to the 1970s and 1980s.

That same year he lost an appeal to have his sentence shortened and has since been detained at HMP The Verne in Portland, Dorset.

However, new reports from PA and The Sun suggest that Glitter could be released as soon as “early 2023”, with a possible release as early as next February.

The Sun quoted a Ministry of Justice source as saying: “The nature of his determinate sentence means the case will not go to the Parole Board.

“It simply means that as soon as your sentence is over, you are free to walk the doors of the prison.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesman told PA: “Sex offenders released from prison are closely monitored by both the police and the Probation Service and can be sent back to prison if they breach the strict conditions of their licence.”

In 2015, Glitter was convicted of attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault and one count of having sexual relations with a minor under the age of 13. At sentencing, Judge Alistair McCreath said there was “no real evidence” that Glitter – whose real name is Paul Gadd – had atoned for his crimes.

Glitter was convicted in 1999 of possessing child pornography and spent four months in prison. After his release, he moved to Vietnam, where he was later convicted of crimes related to the sexual abuse of minors.