Jackson Talks About Abuse Charges

Michael Jackson told CBS’ “60 Minutes” that he still believes it’s acceptable to sleep with children and that he would “slit my wrists” before he would hurt a child.

Jackson, arrested Nov. 20 on suspicion of child molestation, denied the charges against him during an interview with Ed Bradley that was conducted Christmas night and is set to air Sunday. CBS released a portion of the interview Friday.

Jackson, 45, is charged with seven counts of performing lewd or lascivious acts upon a child under 14 and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent.

Asked by Bradley if it was still OK to sleep with children given the charges against him, Jackson answered, “Of course.”

“Why not?” he said. “If you’re going to be a pedophile, if you’re going to be Jack the Ripper, if you’re going to be a murderer, it’s not a good idea. That I am not.”

“Before I would hurt a child, I would slit my wrists,” Jackson also said.

CBS confirmed comments about the alleged victim that Jackson’s attorney, Mark Geragos, said his client had made during the interview: “I didn’t sleep in bed with the child. Even if I did it’s OK. I slept on the floor. I give the bed to the child.”

The pop singer, interviewed in a Los Angeles hotel room, said the police search of his Neverland Ranch had spoiled his idyll.

“I won’t live there ever again,” he said. “It’s a house now. It’s not a home anymore. I’ll only visit.”

Also on Friday, CBS announced that it had rescheduled a Jackson music special that had been postponed last month after the molestation charges surfaced. It will air Jan. 2.

The interview was a coup for “60 Minutes.” Bradley had been pursuing an interview with Jackson before the molestation charges and had traveled to Neverland in February for an interview, but Jackson canceled.

The existence of the musical special, which had been scheduled for the day before Thanksgiving and was largely completed before its postponement, was an unusual factor in landing a widely sought interview.

CBS would not have rescheduled the special if Jackson hadn’t addressed the molestation charges with the network’s news division, CBS entertainment spokesman Chris Ender said.

Bob Steele, an expert on newsroom ethics, said news organizations should maintain independence and conduct interviews on their news value alone.

“If CBS was creating a deal in any way for a news interview with Jackson that is dependent on the entertainment special or vice versa, that certainly seems to compromise journalistic independence,” Steele said.

Kevin Tedesco, “60 Minutes” spokesman, said he couldn’t imagine any news organization that would not pursue an interview with Jackson.

“It’s a big story,” he said.