Gary Glitter risks a prison recall after being photographed discussing the dark web.

A former Attorney General called for “rapid action” last night after freed pedophile Gary Glitter was filmed apparently discussing the sinister “dark web”.

Robert Buckland KC spoke out after a video showed the disgraced pop star, 78, at his remote bail hostel staring at a smartphone while saying he was trying to find “the onion”.

This is a term for the notorious online kingdom of the dark web, used by pedophiles due to the difficulty of monitoring or tracking users.

Leading Tory MP Buckland, who was also Lord Chancellor, told the Daily Mail: “I would have thought there would be licensing terms prohibiting this type of activity and I hope the Justice Department takes action quickly to deal with that. “

A former justice secretary last night called for “quick action” after freed pedophile Gary Glitter was filmed apparently discussing the sinister “dark web”.

Former Home Secretary Priti Patel said if Glitter violated the conditions imposed when he was released last month he should be sent straight back to prison.

“It’s very shocking and sickening,” she added.

The Justice Department said: “Sex offenders are closely monitored by the police and probation services and are subject to some of the strictest licensing conditions, including restrictions on internet use. If an offender violates these conditions, they can be recalled to prison.”

But human rights laws protect internet use even by prolific pedophiles like Glitter. Appeals Court judges ruled more than a decade ago that it was generally wrong to impose blanket bans.

This means it’s difficult to monitor Glitter’s activities. He was freed from Dorset prison and is being held at the hostel in southern England in leafy grounds behind security gates. Footage, which The Sun appears to have obtained from a fellow inmate on Sunday, shows him with a gaunt appearance and a hearing aid.

He says: ‘Should I get rid of this DuckDuck?’ and a companion replies, “Yeah, I wouldn’t bother using that.” Glitter replies, “So what do I do next? Let’s try to find this onion.”

“DuckDuck” is probably a reference to a search engine with a high level of data protection. Glitter was released after serving half a 16-year sentence handed down in 2015 for sexually abusing girls under the age of 13 during his glam rock heyday in the 1970s and 80s.

He had previously been sentenced to four months in prison in 1999 for a heinous cache of 4,000 child abuse images found on his computer. Glitter went abroad and was jailed again in 2006 for sexually abusing two girls in Vietnam.

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk