I think the problem you've got when you're well known the way Michael Jackson is that whenever charges like this come up people are likely to believe them. Why? People love building up celebs but they also really love seeing them get destroyed.
In other words charges like that are going to be harmful in any case. So him paying them off isn't really surprising even if he's innocent. In any case it's hardly a piece of evidence. I might be considered circumstantial evidence, I'm not sure.
It's easy to believe that Michael Jackson's a pervert. He's weird, he fits the bill in that he was abused (if not necessarily sexually) as a child and his desire to be among children (I mean this in the most innocent way) exceeds that of most adults.
The only thing to keep in mind is that it's no more than 'believing'. Those who were far closer to this case, who investigated it, collected evidence, and brought him to court were not able to make a case that warrented a guilty verdict.
So, in a way, this thread goes to prove what I stated initially: If charges like those raised against Michael Jackson come out in the public you've lost in any case - no matter what the verdict of the legal system is. You've got people here wishing for Jackson to be killed or to kill himself.
