What a story. You couldn't make it up.

I was probably not the only one cringing at the updates of which country he'd got on a plane to that wasn't letting him in, before he finally gave up and flew to Britain. Still protesting his innocence, issuing statements saying that the last few days gave him time to put plans in place to ensure his health and safety when he gets back to the UK.

You know, even Planet Rock managed to get a 'correspondent' onto his flight into Heathrow, to report crap like 'yes, apparently Gary Glitter is on board, but I can't see him...' Probably the nearest to recognition from a radio station the guy has experienced for a few years!

And now we have The Obligatory Kneejerk Reaction in the offing: tightening controls on the travel of regstered sex offenders. What's interesting about that IMO is that there were plenty of countries willing to let him in, fresh out of a UK prison after his child porn sentence. But under these circumstances I just don't see anywhere doing anything other than barring the gates when they see him coming.

I suppose now its academic to ask whether it was ever possible for him to lie low and build a bit of a life for himself somewhere else, what with there always being a delegation of the press following the poor sod round. There always did seem to be a sort of inevitabliity about him getting in trouble again though, what with him never being shy about being seen with young girls in tow. Maybe his time as a celebrity severed some of his ties with reality. Or maybe it was a concious decision, knowing that before long hed be hounded out of wherever he tried to escape to that he migh as well enjoy life and the company of girls for a bit? Same with the smiling. It could just be celeb-reflex to smile at a press pack. Then again I know somebody who got in trouble for similar stuff who made a concious decision to smile and look affable in their mushots; their reason being that if their pictures were going to be published in local papers etc then by God they weren't going to be printed wearing the usual 'cornered pervert' expression. Who knows.

And the girls he was convicted of molesting? I wouldn't be suprised at all if doing paid sexual favours for a rich foreigner (quite a lot of pay to get the family to request the charges be downgraded) is a lot less shameful and less stigmatised than being Sexually Abused by a Paedophile is in this country. They'll probably be both relatively unscathed and relatively rich. Is it just me or is it infinitely more damning to us back home that what would seem to be a blatently exploitative arrangment in Vietnam is likely far less traumatic for the kids involved than it would be for a 10- or 11-year-old over here to be found out having sex with an adult friend?