Vietnamese girl, 12, alleges she had sex with rocker Gary Glitter, police say
- From: "Chim" <ChimS1@xxxxxxx>
- Date: 21 Nov 2005 09:10:09 -0800
Vietnamese girl, 12, alleges she had sex with rocker Gary Glitter,
police say
By TINI TRAN, AP
VUNG TAU, Vietnam (AP) - Two youths - at least one a minor - told
authorities they had sex with British rocker Gary Glitter at his home
in Vietnam, police in the southern coastal resort town Vung Tau said
Monday.
Glitter, 61, was detained by immigration officials Saturday at Tan Son
Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City while trying to board a
flight for Bangkok. He was later turned over to provincial police in
southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau, police and immigration officials said.
Police had been searching for Glitter, whose real name is Paul Francis
Gadd, since he fled his rented home in Vung Tau on Nov. 12 amid
allegations that he committed lewd acts with a minor.
Glitter, who rose to fame as a glam rocker in the 1970s, is perhaps
best known for "Rock and Roll (Part 2)," which is still frequently
played at sporting events.
He has not been charged with any crime but remains in custody at a jail
outside the coastal city, police said. On Monday, Vung Tau police said
they were continuing to investigate the case and will be questioning
him further.
A British official in Ho Chi Minh City said Glitter had been in contact
with the consulate on Sunday and is seeking a lawyer.
In Vung Tau, a police officer who refused to give his name said the two
girls, aged 12 and 18, claimed in interviews with police that they had
gone to Glitter's home and had sex with him there. There were
conflicting media reports that the second girl had not yet turned 18,
the age of consent in Vietnam.
Under Vietnamese law, sexual contact with a minor under the age of 18
carries varying penalties, depending on the charge. Child rape carries
the maximum penalty of death before a firing squad.
"Having sex with a 12-year-old girl, regardless of whether he had her
consent, is still considered child rape under Vietnamese law," the
police officer said on condition of anonymity, adding that the girls'
accusations are still under investigation.
Neighbors on Monday said they were surprised to read the allegations
against Glitter in the newspaper. They said the only problem they ever
had with him was that he sometimes brought home friends to his
oceanside villa and sang songs too loudly.
"Before this, I never suspected him" of doing anything he's accused of,
said Tran Cong Khanh, 48. "I thought he just liked children."
Khanh said Glitter had been living in the house for about a year. In
recent months, two girls who appeared to be in their mid-teens visited
frequently and were often heard laughing or talking loudly at Glitter's
swimming pool, Khanh said.
The case has been highly publicized in state-controlled media, which
had reported that Glitter was seen in Vung Tau with several teenage
girls, whom he invited to his home, since moving to the area in March.
Vung Tau is a coastal town often frequented on weekends by Ho Chi Minh
City residents. It is not popular with tourists from abroad, and very
few foreigners live there.
Thanh Nien (Youth) newspaper reported on Monday that the two girls had
been invited to Glitter's home, where he paid them for sex. The
12-year-old told police she had sex three times with Glitter, who paid
her 150,000 dong (US$10) each time, the paper said.
Police would not confirm whether either of the youths claimed they were
paid for sex.
Last week, the Foreign Ministry said Glitter had been living in Vung
Tau since March and had applied for permanent resident status in
Vietnam. Authorities had interviewed a 15-year-old girl they found in
Glitter's home, ministry spokesman Le Dung said.
"If evidence of a (legal) violation is found against Mr. Paul Francis,
and especially evidence of sexual child abuse, I believe that very
strict legal measures will apply to him," Dung said.
Glitter was convicted in Britain in 1999 of possessing child
pornography and served half of a four-month jail sentence before being
released. He later went to Cambodia and was permanently expelled in
2002, though Cambodian officials did not specify his crime or file
charges.
11/21/05 06:38 EST
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. The information contained in the
AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise
distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated
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