Shamed Gary Glitter 'agrees' to UK return

BANGKOK, Thailand -- British glam rocker Gary Glitter has agreed to leave Thailand for the UK after officials there and in Hong Kong refused the convicted child molester entry into their countries, according to reports.

Glitter initially left Vietnam, where he was jailed for nearly three years for child molestation, on Tuesday.

However, instead of returning to the UK, his home, he first tried to enter Thailand and when refused entry there, he flew to Hong Kong.

He returned to Thailand Wednesday night after Chinese officials refused to let him leave Hong Kong's airport.
Now, Thai police have told the Associated Press Glitter has agreed to fly to the UK.

Police Maj. Gen. Phongdej Chaiprawat could not say when the aging rocker would leave Bangkok nor which flight he would be taking, AP reported.

A Thai immigration official earlier told CNN that the country would not budge from its decision to deny entry to the musician. It insists that Thai Airways is responsible for determining where to take Glitter.

He was scheduled to switch flights in Bangkok, Thailand, en route to the UK.

But Glitter refused to board the connecting flight, and Thai immigration officials would not let him clear customs.

He remained confined in the transit lounge of Bangkok's international airport while officials tried to negotiate with him.

Eventually, he boarded a flight bound for Hong Kong on Wednesday. But once the plane arrived in Hong Kong, Glitter learned he was not welcome there.

Glitter, born Paul Gadd, was a rock institution during the 1970s -- topping the music charts multiple times.
He is best known for a stadium anthem song called "Rock and Roll (Part 2)." The song -- with its one-word chorus "Hey" -- is played at professional sporting events around the world.

However, in March 2006 he was convicted in Vietnam of sexually abusing two Vietnamese girls when they were ages 9 and 11.

One children's advocate called for his return to London.

"It's important that Glitter comes back here and that he's carefully risk-assessed here in the UK, where we can do that," said Zoe Hilton. "It's important that we stop him traveling overseas again where he is a known risk of abusing children."

His trouble in Vietnam was foreshadowed by other tawdry acts. In 1999 he served four months in a UK prison after dozens of images of child pornography were found on his computer.

At the time, he expressed "deep regret," and then moved abroad -- first to Cuba, then to Cambodia, before surfacing in Vietnam -- where he quickly landed himself back in legal hot water.