Prosecutors say Jackson still could be threat to kids

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Michael Jackson’s prosecutors said Friday they still believe the pop star could be a danger to children, despite his acquittal on charges of molesting a boy two years ago.

Santa Barbara County District Attorney Tom Sneddon and his two lead deputies in the case said in an interview with the Associated Press that they believed the jury set too high a bar for evidence.

Jurors rejected the prosecution’s entire 10-count case Monday after a 14-week trial. Some later said that Jackson probably had molested other boys but insisted the case they heard was not proven.

Sneddon, who said immediately after the verdict that he would not second-guess the jury, discussed the nature of child molesters but said he was not talking about Jackson specifically.

“They don’t even stop when they get treatment,” he said. “This is a sickness that is very, very difficult to cure.”

Senior Deputy District Attorney Ron Zonen stressed the importance of Jackson’s future dealings with children.

“He’s been exposed to the criminal justice system in a very profound way. Whether he poses a threat to children in the future is, of course, entirely up to him. If he brings kids back into his bedroom and even into his bed, then yes, there’s probably a high likelihood that he will pose a threat or danger to the child,” Zonen said.

Jackson’s attorney, Thomas Mesereau Jr., said earlier this week that Jackson would no longer share his bedroom with children or their families because it could put him at risk for future accusations.

Mesereau persuaded jurors that there was a reasonable doubt in the case by arguing that the accuser and his mother made up the allegations against Jackson to get money.

On NBC’s “The Tonight Show” Friday, Mesereau said Sneddon had a “personal vendetta” against Jackson and “mischaracterized the case from day one.” He said Sneddon had been searching for accusers since a previous case fell apart after the boy’s family accepted a multimillion-dollar settlement from Jackson.

A spokeswoman for the Chumash Casino near Jackson’s Neverland ranch was quoted in the Los Angeles Times saying the casino had learned the family planned to hold an event today for selected fans.