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Jackson a free man
14/06/2005 00:08 - (SA)
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| Michael Jackson waves as he leaves court after being found not guilty on all counts against him. (Mark J Terrill, AP) |
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Santa Maria - A jury on Monday cleared pop star Michael Jackson of child sex abuse and other charges that could have seen him jailed for more than 18 years at the end of a sensational 14 week trial.
Prosecutors had sought to portray the 46-year-old King of Pop as a sexual predator of boys, but Jackson's defence had insisted throughout that the accuser's mother was an extortionist who had trained her children to lie.
But the jury, after seven days of deliberations, rejected all of the accusations against Jackson giving the star a stunning victory over his main prosecutor, Tom Sneddon, who has been pursuing Jackson for the past decade.
Jackson shed tears as each not guilty verdict was read out by the jury forewoman. Afterwards he walked out of the court to his waiting car, but said nothing to his screaming fans. Cheers and tears
Hundreds of Jackson fans, many who have been present throughout the trial, erupted in cheers and tears of jubilation as the 10 not guilty verdicts were announced on loudspeakers.
There had been rising tension outside as fans waited for Jackson to arrive for the verdict. "MJ Innocent!" shouted some.
With television helicopters following overhead, a convoy of four black four wheel drive trucks took Jackson and his family from Neverland Ranch, where the offences were alleged to have taken place, to the Santa Maria courthouse.
The star was accompanied by his parents Joe and Katherine as well as some of his siblings, including his singer sisters Janet and LaToya who have been with him most days throughout the trial. Wearing a black jacket, tie and dark aviator glasses and surrounded by body guards, the singer looked sombre as fans screamed support for him as he stepped out under his trademark black umbrella.
The crowd went silent as broadcast accounts of the proceedings were played.
The jury reached its verdict on the seventh day of its deliberations.
Jackson had denied all 10 charges that he sexually molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor, served him alcohol and conspired to hold him and his family captive two years ago.
- SAPA
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