Court returns Jackson's property except for photos of genitalia

Jul 23, 2005, 9:06 GMT

Santa Maria, California - Most items seized from Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch during police searches of the property must be returned to the popstar, Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville has ruled.

The items to be returned include pornographic magazines, books and computer hard drives, but not photos of the singer's genitalia taken as evidence during a 1993-1994 investigation into whether Jackson molested a 13-year-old Los Angeles boy, the California newspaper Lompoc Record reported Friday.

The judge agreed with Santa Barbara County District Attorney Tom Sneddon that a prior order dictates that those images must remain locked in a safe deposit box.

The photos were not used in the prosecution of Jackson on child molestation and other felony charges. The trial ended June 13 in Jackson's acquittal on all 10 criminal counts.

Melville ruled that items seized from Neverland and not entered into evidence, including about nine computers, should be returned.

Jackson's defense had petitioned for the return of all items seized.

Sneddon said the boy who accused Jackson of child molestation wanted some of his and his family's possessions returned, including a jacket and watch the pop star gave him.

The family also requested the return of their passports, birth certificates and several photographs and books.

The first estimates of some of the costs of the case have been revealed, and they show that the cost of security in front of the court house is 2.7 million dollars. The bill for the taxpayers will continue to climb when the costs of the investigation and the empanelling of a grand jury are tallied, radio station KCBS reported.