From Wiki:
Arrest and trial
On
November 12,
2005, Gary Glitter fled his home, despite having applied for permanent residence in Vietnam. Three days later, he was arrested in
Ho Chi Minh City while trying to board a flight to
Thailand. Six girls and women in Vietnam, aged 11 to 23, stated that Glitter had sex with them; the
age of consent in that country is eighteen.
[11]
After his arrest, Glitter was turned over to provincial police from Ba Ria-Vung Tau and returned to Vung Tau and held on suspicion of having sex with two underage girls. Glitter was jailed throughout the criminal probe, which was completed on
December 26,
2005. The charge of rape was dropped for, according to Glitter's lawyer, "lack of evidence", although the singer admitted that an eleven-year-old girl had slept in his bed. Glitter could have faced the
death penalty by
firing squad if convicted of child rape. After having received compensatory payments from Glitter, the families of the girls appealed to the courts for
clemency for him.
[12][13][14]
Some of the families went to court for him.... there was a payoff.