Jackson to face child molestation charges

Wednesday, November 26, 2003 LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Mark Geragos, lawyer for pop singer Michael Jackson, obtained a temporary restraining order Tuesday against a charter airline that he said secretly videotaped Jackson and him talking on board one of its planes and shopped the tapes to media outlets. Jackson spokesman Stuart Backerman said the tapes were made Thursday while Geragos and the singer flew from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Santa Barbara, California, where Jackson surrendered to authorities on suspicion of child molestation and was released on $3 million bond. The restraining order issued by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Yaffe prohibits XtraJet, the airline Geragos said placed the cameras aboard the plane, from releasing the tapes until a hearing in December on a permanent injunction, according to a statement from Backerman. CNN reports that Geragos told reporters he also had filed suit against XtraJet and reserved the right to sue anyone connected with making or trying to sell the tapes. Sources familiar with the situation said the FBI had the videotapes and was evaluating their content. Matthew McLaughlin, an FBI spokesman in Los Angeles, said only that agents were at XtraJet earlier Tuesday and the agency was "evaluating whether any federal laws were broken." Jackson denies the molestation allegations, and Geragos warned anyone trying to capitalize on Jackson's current troubles. “About.com” has published Jackson’s official statement regarding the accusations. In it he states, “As you know, the charges recently directed at me are terribly serious. They are, however, predicated on a big lie. This will be shown in court, and we will be able to put this horrible time behind us…”