Netflix Is Giving The Most Famous Child Molester Of All Time A Series
A true crime series based on the most infamous child molester of all time, Gary Glitter, is coming to Netflix.
If you’re one to binge on true crime documentaries, and you’ve already burned through all 406 episodes of Forensic Files, then you know by now that Netflix is the place to get your fix on all things gruesome, terrifying, and real. According to The Hollywood Reporter, new light will be shed on the Gary Glitter case in a three-part Netflix series and will cover his life story, his rise to fame, and his eventual incarceration for child sexual abuse and other crimes. By now, the streaming giant is known for putting out provocative true crime sagas that highlight heinous acts committed by monstrous people and telling these stories from the perspective of victims, law enforcement, and in some cases, the criminal in question.
The Gary Glitter series will just be another addition to the ever-growing true crime catalog on Netflix, joining the ranks alongside Conversations With a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes and Murdaugh Murders, and will go into great detail uncovering the unforgivable crimes committed by the former glam rock star. The series will be directed by Sam Hobkinson and produced by Cammy Millard, and production is already underway. This chronicling of events will feature previously unseen archival footage of the star’s fall from grace and will even include some takes from the journalists who worked tirelessly throughout the years to track him down and turn him in to the authorities.
Unlike the controversial Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, the Gary Glitter Netflix series will be rooted in reality and, by the sounds of it, will paint a bleak picture of the sex crimes he committed throughout his career. This is a refreshing change of pace, considering that Gary Glitter doesn’t need to be glorified– especially after the backlash they received for the series on Dahmer, which was considered by many to be an insensitive (and inaccurate) retelling of events. While revisionist history makes for a more entertaining series, it’s a delicate line to tread when trying to present the facts in a way that has mass appeal while also being sensitive to the fact that these stories are based on very sad and disturbing realities.
Gary Glitter’s career came to a grinding halt in 1997 when child pornography was found on his computer, and he was later convicted for his crimes in 1999. Having only served a four-month sentence, he traveled to Spain and Vietnam, but his behavior did not change, and he spent the next several years being tried for sleeping with underage girls but ultimately being acquitted for lack of evidence. In 2015, he was convicted of attempted rape, numerous accounts of sexual assault, and one count of having sex with a minor. In 2023, after only serving half of his sentence, Gary Glitter is a free man once again, and hopefully, the Netflix series will be enough to let people know to avoid the man at all costs.
There are many people who don’t like the true crime genre because they think it’s drawing attention to monsters who don’t deserve to see the light of day. While it can certainly be misconstrued this way, we don’t think it’s the intention; a sad reality is that people like Gary Glitter actually exist among us, and these Netflix adaptations, while hard to watch, are only arming us with information. Whether you’re an abnormal psychology major, just now catching up on the Serial podcast, or just want to see unthinkably awful people be brought to justice, then be sure to keep yourself in the loop for the release date on the Gary Glitter story that’s due to come out on Netflix.
