Glitter faces expulsion from Cambodia

Gary Glitter's real name is Paul Francis Gadd

Disgraced former rock star Gary Glitter could be expelled from Cambodia once officials receive confirmation from Britain of his convictions for child pornography, Cambodian police said.

Glitter was jailed for four months in 1999 for downloading thousands of pornographic images of children from the internet.

He is the subject of a Cambodian police inquiry after he allegedly failed to declare that he has been living in the capital, Phnom Penh for seven months.

Police seized his passport on Sunday after he was detained for questioning and later released.

If he has committed crimes in another country, then we can deport him

Pol Pithey, immigration police chief

His passport was confiscated after he failed to inform authorities about his previous convictions or his intentions to stay in Cambodia.

The investigation centres around whether Glitter illegally failed to register with the government after living in the city, or committed any serious crimes in the country.

"We do not have an exact plan on deporting him since he has not committed any offence here and we cannot lay any charges," said Pol Pithey, Phnom Penh immigration police chief.

"But if he has committed crimes in another country, then we can deport him."

Uncertain future

Mr Pithey said Glitter is reported to have rented an apartment in Cambodia until July and made several attempts to buy into local businesses, which he refused to detail.

But now the 57-year-old is facing an uncertain future in Cambodia after authorities were alerted to his whereabouts by the British press.

There is mounting pressure from within the country to deport him.

Officials at the Ministry of Women's Affairs demanded Glitter's criminal record on Tuesday from the British embassy.

Glitter has had his passport confiscated

"If he has any record of being involved in pornography I will ask the premier to consider asking him to leave," said Mu Sochua, Minister of Women' s Affairs.

"I don't want Cambodian children victimised like children in other countries."

"This is a preventative measure."

A spokesman for the British embassy said staff had forwarded the request to Interpol and the relevant UK authorities.

The former glam rock star served two months of a four-month sentence after admitting 54 charges of possessing child pornography downloaded from the internet.

The singer admitted making indecent images of children under 16 between January and November 1997.

Visa

He had downloaded material that included images of girls as young as two being abused.

The conviction ended his pop career.

Glitter was released from prison in January 2000 and is on the sex offenders' register in the UK under his real name Paul Francis Gadd.

His Cambodian lawyer, Ouk Ry, was not available for comment.

Glitter's visa for Cambodia, which has entry stamps into Thailand, Vietnam, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Venezuela and Columbia, is valid until October 2002, police said.

Glitter first came to Cambodia in 1997, but his most recent entry into the country is March of this year.