Gary Glitter, the British glam rock singer whose music is still regularly played at U.S. sports events, pleaded not guilty at a London court on Wednesday to four counts of indecently assaulting a girl more than four decades ago.
The musician, whose real name is Paul Gadd, also pleaded not guilty to two counts of indecency and two of sexual intercourse with the same girl when she was aged between 8 and 11 years old.
Tony Baumgartner, the presiding judge at Southwark Crown Court, said that Mr. Gadd would face trial starting Nov. 22, 2027.
During the hearing, Mr. Gadd, 82, who appeared via video link and wore a gray jacket and hat, confirmed his name before a clerk read out brief details of the counts and asked for his pleas.
When prosecutors and the police announced initial charges in July, they said that the abuse occurred between 1978 and 1981 at a residential address in the Kensington district of London and that it involved a woman who reported the accusations to the police early last year.
The clerk said that Mr. Gadd was accused of having sex with the girl on at least five occasions.
Mr. Gadd, who was sitting behind a table, said “Not guilty” to each charge, although he said, “Absolutely not guilty,” to two counts.
Under British law, it is illegal for the news media to report information that could identify someone who has made such sexual abuse allegations, and they have lifelong anonymity.
Mr. Gadd was a star of the glam rock era of the early 1970s that also included acts like David Bowie and T. Rex. His 1972 hit “Rock and Roll (Part 2),” which reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, is still regularly played at sports events in the United States. It also served as the soundtrack to a pivotal scene in the 2019 movie “Joker.”
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