Jackson defiant over child sex charges

Pop superstar Michael Jackson was preparing today to defend himself “with the force of his spirit” following his arrest over child abuse allegations.

The King of Pop was met by police officers and taken into custody with his hands cuffed behind his back after flying on a private jet from Las Vegas into Santa Barbara airport in California yesterday.

The 45-year-old was driven to Santa Barbara County main jail accompanied by his lawyer and later released on bail after paying €2.4m.

Jackson is charged by the state with lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, punishable by three to eight years in prison.

A statement released by Jackson’s spokesman Stuart Backerman described the allegation as monstrous.

It said: “The big lie against Michael Jackson is anchored in the most vicious allegation imaginable, one that resonates across every culture: the spectacle of harming a child.

“That spectacle invites outrage, and it should. But this spectacle is rooted in a lie.

“Michael said, ’Lies run sprints, but the truth runs marathons. The truth will win this marathon in court.’

“Michael is going to defend himself with the force of his spirit, as would anyone falsely accused of something so monstrous.”

The New York Post reported that the alleged 12-year-old victim was a cancer patient whose “last wish” was to meet Jackson.

Jackson’s brother Jermaine has said the musical family were behind the star, and called the events “modern-day lynching”.

He told CNN: “The whole family supports Michael 100%, 1,000%. Michael is innocent.

“My brother is not eccentric. We had an incredible, wonderful childhood. And what they’re doing is bringing him down with the very thing that he loved.

“At the end of the day, this is nothing but a modern-day lynching.”

Jackson’s lawyer Mark Geragos told reporters yesterday that the singer had “come back specifically to confront these charges head on”.

He said: “He is greatly outraged by the bringing of these charges. He considers this to be a big lie.

He understands the people who are outraged, because if these charges are true, I assure you Michael will be the first to be outraged.

“I’m here to tell you today, Michael has given me the authority to say on his behalf these charges are categorically untrue. He looks forward to getting into a courtroom as opposed to any other forum and confronting these accusations head on.”

Jackson’s former friend Uri Geller said last night he was “praying” that the star was innocent.

He said: “Seeing Michael Jackson in handcuffs was so surreal, almost unbelievable.

“I have spoken to him twice before warning him that if he doesn’t change his behaviour he is going to end up in jail.

“But he has a childlike mind in a 45-year-old body and he doesn’t understand.

“He just looked at me in pain, as if he was thinking he wasn’t able to give unconditional love to a child anymore.

“I still want to believe, I pray, that Michael Jackson is innocent, and hope he is able to prove beyond doubt that he is innocent in court.

“If I’m wrong, my whole belief in human nature will be shattered. Me and all his other friends will have been shown to be totally gullible and his millions of fans will be utterly devastated.

“Something stinks, something doesn’t feel right here – but Michael Jackson set himself up for all of this.”

He added: “I am shocked at the lack of guidance around Michael. He has done some things to himself that have shocked me to the core.”

On Tuesday Jackson was in Las Vegas to film a music video when dozens of law enforcement agents swarmed Neverland to serve a search warrant.

The alleged victim is reported to have told his psychiatrist that Jackson plied him with wine and sleeping pills when he stayed at Neverland.

Fox News said that after Jackson and the boy met, the star allegedly began to pay the family’s medical bills and assisted them financially in other ways.

He allegedly knew several months ago that the boy’s family was concerned about his relationship with their son, said the US TV channel.

The allegations began to come out in the spring when the boy’s schoolmates, who apparently knew about his relationship with Jackson, began to taunt and tease him, said Fox.

The taunting caused the boy’s mother to seek legal advice.

The lawyer suggested the boy see a psychiatrist, who after speaking to the boy contacted police.

Similar allegations surfaced against Jackson a decade ago, but they never led to the filing of criminal charges and in 1994 the probe became inactive.

Jackson had maintained his innocence but paid a multimillion-pound civil settlement, and the child would not testify in any criminal proceeding.

In a TV documentary with Martin Bashir this year, Jackson said he had slept in a bed with many children.

“When you say bed you’re thinking sexual. It’s not sexual, we’re going to sleep. I tuck them in. ... It’s very charming, it’s very sweet.”