[Bob Dole]

Police Search for Gary Glitter in Vietnam

HANOI, Vietnam - Authorities said Thursday they are searching for former British rock star Gary Glitter over his alleged relationship with a Vietnamese teenager.

"At present, relevant authorities Ba Ria Vung Tau province are trying to trace this gentleman, and clarify the relationship between this gentleman and a Vietnamese juvenile," Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung said.

The 61-year-old Glitter, who rose to fame with a glam rock act in the 1970s, is perhaps most known for "Rock and Roll (Part 2)," which is still frequently played at sporting events.

Dung said authorities have conducted interviews with a 15-year-old girl who they found in the home rented by Glitter. The spokesman said Glitter, whose real name is Paul Francis Gadd, had applied for permanent resident status in Vietnam.

"If evidence of a (legal) violation is found against Mr. Paul Francis, and especially evidence of sexual child abuse, I believe that very strict legal measures will apply to him," he said.

In Vietnam, the crime of sexually abusing a child can lead to the death penalty.

Glitter was convicted in Britain in 1999 of possessing child pornography and served half of a four-month jail sentence before being released. He remains on Britain's sex offenders register.

He later went to Cambodia and was permanently expelled in 2002, though Cambodian officials did not specify his crime or file charges.

Glitter's other 1970s hit songs include "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" and "Do You Wanna Touch."