Jackson 'needs to rest'

2005-06-14 11:56

California - Pop megastar Michael Jackson on Tuesday recovered from his child sex trial, no longer haunted by the specter of jail and determined to revive his career now that he has been acquitted.

Holed up at Neverland, his fantasy-filled California estate, the famed entertainer needed to relax for a while but was certain to work on a comeback, according to friends and family.

Jackson drove straight to the sprawling ranch on Monday after his jurors found him innocent on all 10 charges that he sexually molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor, used alcohol to seduce him and conspired to hold the boy and his family captive two years ago.

The frail and pale pop idol appeared exhausted after more than four months of appearances at the Santa Maria court, near Neverland.

In his blood

Jermaine Jackson, one of his brothers said the pop singer was very tired and needed to take it easy for a while, but would go back to the music industry.

"Right now he's going to rest but you know, its in his blood, in his bones." Jermaine told CNNs Larry King.

Family spokesperson Angel Howansky also indicated the "King of Pop" would eventually be back on the stage.

"The world would be at a loss if Michael Jackson did not got out and sing and perform," she said.

The 46-year-old pop idol left the Santa Maria, California court on Monday to frenzied cheers from his fans, having scored a stunning victory over prosecutor Tom Sneddon, who has been pursuing him for the past decade.

The jury took seven days to acquit Jackson, who could have faced almost 20 years in prison if he had been convicted.

"Justice is done, the man's innocent. He always was," Jackson's flamboyant lead attorney Thomas Mesereau said in a statement.

Wearing a black jacket, tie and aviator glasses, the singer made no comment as he left the courthouse but blew kisses to the hundreds of delirious fans.

Jackson showed no emotion as he listened to the jurors pronounce him innocent 10 times over, but stared straight ahead and dabbed at his face with each decision.

Jackson slowly turned around to hug Mesereau as the reality sunk in.

"I think that Michael Jackson has probably molested boys," juror number one said on CNN's Larry King show, adding however that the prosecution had failed to prove the case brought to trial beyond reasonable doubt.

While acknowledging his disappointment at the verdict, Sneddon said he would not shy away from doing it all again if a new case could be built against Jackson.

"We have acted professionally in this. I'm not going to look back and apologise on anything we've done," Sneddon told reporters.

Jackson's ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, who was called as a star prosecution witness but confounded expectations by singing the entertainer's praises, said in a statement that she was "overjoyed" at his acquittal.

- AFP