Where is Gary Glitter now? Inside the 'citadel' prison housing fallen popstar which is complimented for its 'incredible architecture' as new ITV documentary explores his criminal timeline
The prison holding disgraced popstar Gary Glitter is a far cry from what you would expect to house one of Britain's most notorious pedophiles.
HMP The Verne, which is a former 19th century citadel and has been remarked for its 'incredible architecture', is notably one of the more cosy penitentiaries that the UK has to offer.
With its own miniature farm, an ornamental pond full of koi carp and even a giant chess set on the lawn, it wouldn't be suprising for someone to mistake the Category C prison for a holiday retreat.
But instead it is home to 580 sex offenders, including Glitter, who each have have 20-inch flatscreen TVs in their rooms, access to tea-making facilities, and even their own door keys.
Glitter, who was convicted for abusing three young people between 1975 and 1980, was released from the prison in February last year, but returned just weeks later after breaching his licence conditions.
He was recently the subject of a new ITV documentary, Glitter: The Popstar Paedophile, documenting the disgraced singer's crimes, while hearing from victim testimonies and those who met Glitter on the showbiz circuit.
HMP The Verne, which is the prison holding disgraced popstar Gary Glitter, is a far cry from what you would expect to house one of Britain's most notorious peadophiles
He can play on a giant chess set on the lawn at the Category C prison on the Isle of Portland, Dorset
The convicted paedophile will be able relax at the edge of an ornamental pond full of koi carp
The jail, which only houses sex offenders, provides a gym and an all-weather football pitch for inmates. There are also personal trainers offered to the criminals totake them for fitness sessions.
The farm at the site allows prisoners to grow their own flowers while also looking after animals such as ducks.
HMP Verne, which is located on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, functioned as an immigration removal centre until 2017 before it was converted into a prison.
It was made to also provide access for people with disabilities, with new lifts, wider cells and wet room washing facilities also available.
A source previously told The Sun: 'It's like a holiday camp in there.
'To think some of these people have raped children, the public would be disgusted to see how they live.
'Because it's all sex offenders together they feel safe and there is no trouble.
'They are given special privileges because they are older prisoners who are deemed to be well behaved.'
Glitter was released from the prison in February last year, but returned just weeks later after breaching his licence conditions.
The disgraced pop star (pictured in 1972) was jailed in 2015 for sexually assaulting three young girls in the 1970s
The disgraced pop star performing in London in 1972 before he was jailed for child sex offences
Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, was convicted for having sex with a girl under 13 following investigations into historic sex offences.
The former entertainer was at the height of his fame when he preyed on his victims, who thought no-one would believe their claims because of his celebrity status.
He attacked two girls, aged 12 and 13, after inviting them backstage to his dressing room and isolating them from their mothers.
His third victim was less than 10 years old when he crept into her bed and tried to rape her in 1975.
The allegations only came to light nearly 40 years later when Glitter became the first person to be arrested under Operation Yewtree - the investigation launched by the Metropolitan Police in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal.
He was handed a 16-year jail term in 2015 for sexually abusing girls aged under 13 during his glam rock heyday in the 1970s and 80s.
But he was automatically released from HMP The Verne in February last year after serving half of his fixed-term determinate sentence.
Glitter was put back behind bars less than six weeks after walking free when police monitoring showed he had breached his licence conditions by reportedly trying to access the dark web and viewing downloaded images of children.