Pressure grows to deport Glitter

Cambodia’s women’s minister today asked her government to deport paedophile rock star Gary Glitter, arguing that his record as a convicted sex offender makes him a danger to children.

Glitter, 57, whose real name is Paul Francis Gadd, has been living in Cambodia for the past six months.

He was jailed in Britain in 1999 for downloading child pornography from the Internet.

After police became aware of his presence in Cambodia last month, they questioned him about his conviction but said at the time that he could not be expelled unless he committed a crime in Cambodia.

In a letter to Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng today, Women’s Affairs Minister Mu Sochua formally urged the government to deport Glitter and send ‘‘a very clear message’’ that Cambodia is not a free country for convicted sex offenders.

Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, is notorious for prostitution and has gained a reputation as a centre for paedophilia.

Sar Kheng asked the Interior Ministry to ask Glitter to leave ‘‘as soon as possible’’ as a ‘‘preventive measure for protecting the well-being of our children.’’

Glitter’s exact whereabouts in Cambodia have become a mystery since he made a brief appearance at a police station last week to collect his passport.

He has signed a document promising to inform police about his movements.