Jackson Charged In Child Abuse Case

DECEMBER 18--Michael Jackson was formally charged today with seven counts of child molestation for the alleged abuse of a cancer-stricken boy. The singer was also hit with two additional felonies for allegedly providing the child with an "intoxicating agent." The below criminal complaint, filed this afternoon by Santa Barbara prosecutors, alleges that the pop star "had substantial sexual conduct" with the child--apparently during play dates at the 45-year-old performer's Neverland Ranch--between February 7 and March 10 this year. All of the alleged abuse came, remarkably, after ABC's February 6 broadcast of the damning Martin Bashir documentary. As TSG reported earlier this month, the child told Los Angeles police and child welfare workers that he was never sexually abused by Jackson and "never slept in the same bed as the entertainer." The boy was interviewed as part of a child welfare investigation--which took place between February 14-27--that was triggered by the Bashir documentary and concluded that abuse allegations against Jackson were "unfounded." (3 pages)