Jackson Pops In, Out Of Jail
Pop superstar Michael Jackson left the Santa Barbara, Calif., jail Thursday afternoon after posting $3 million bond on child molestation charges.
The 45-year-old Jackson waved to reporters, flashed a V-sign and climbed into a black Suburban that drove away with an escort of three sheriff's motorcycle officers. The convoy headed to the county airport where Jackson boarded a plane, but it was not known where the flight was bound.
Jackson, accompanied by defense attorney Mark Geragos, entered Santa Barbara County jail shortly after noon with his hands cuffed behind his back. He was photographed, fingerprinted, paid his bond and handed over his passport during one hour of processing.
His arraignment was set for January 9.
Geragos later told reporters outside the jail that Jackson was "greatly outraged" by the allegations and had told him they were "categorically untrue" and "a big lie."
A private jet carrying Jackson landed at Santa Barbara Municipal Airport shortly before noon and rolled its nose into the partly opened doors of a hangar. A caravan of cars was seen leaving the hangar a few minutes later.
Geragos said Jackson had returned from Las Vegas to face the charges "head on" and was "greatly outraged" by the allegations. He said Jackson "understands those who are outraged" by the child molestation charges against him, adding that the pop star "would be the first to be outraged" over such allegations.
Jackson had been in Las Vegas filming a music video when dozens of law enforcement agents swarmed his Neverland Ranch compound near Santa Barbara on Tuesday to serve a search warrant.
Authorities announced Wednesday that an arrest warrant alleging child molestation had been issued. Jackson is charged by the state with lewd or lascivious acts with a child under age 14, punishable by three to eight years in prison, law enforcement officials said.
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 reportedly paid a multimillion-dollar civil settlement, and the child would not testify in any criminal proceeding.
District Attorney Thomas W. Sneddon Jr. said Wednesday that this case was different because he had a cooperative victim and because of a change in state law "specifically because of the 1993-94 Michael Jackson investigation."
Sneddon would not say when or where the alleged crimes took place or how old the child was. He said an affidavit outlining the details will be sealed for 45 days.
"This is a very serious, felony charge against Jackson and it brings with it the possibility of significant prison time if he is convicted," said CBSNews.com Legal Analyst Andrew Cohen.
However, "it's important to note that there is no child rape charge against Jackson. ... The sentencing range for this crime is lower than it would be for a child rape charge."
CBS News Correspondent Steve Futterman reports that although law enforcement officials are refusing to give details, there are reports saying Jackson's accuser is a 12-year-old boy who is a cancer survivor.
In a documentary broadcast on ABC earlier this year, Jackson said he had slept in a bed with many children. "When you say bed you're thinking sexual," he said in the interview. "It's not sexual, we're going to sleep. I tuck them in. … It's very charming, it's very sweet."
On Wednesday, CBS pulled a Jackson music special planned for next Wednesday on his greatest hits and the impact on pop culture of the former child star who got his start with his brothers as a member of the singing-and-dancing Jackson 5.
The singer had international hits with the albums "Thriller" (1982), "Bad" (1987) and "Dangerous" (1991), but saw his career begin to collapse after the 1993 allegations.