ForgottenTcklr
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Pee-wee's Child-Porn Charge
Fri Nov 15, 9:00 PM ET
By Marcus Errico
First Ferris Bueller's Jeffrey Jones, now Paul Reubens (aka Pee-wee Herman) has been rung up on a kiddie-porn charge.
• Ferris Bueller star busted for child porn
• Police raid Pee-wee's playhouse
• E! Online's Paul Reubens filmography
E! Online Photo
Reubens, 50, turned himself in late Friday afternoon at the LAPD (news - web sites)'s Hollywood station. He was booked on the misdemeanor count of possessing child pornography--or in legal parlance, material depicting children under 18 engaged in sexual conduct. He posted $20,000 bail and was ordered to appear in court December 19 for arraignment.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of one year in county jail and a $2,500 fine, according to Ana Garcia, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles City Attorney.
Reubens' rep says the "claims are completely without merit. He's going to be completely vindicated at the end of the day."
Jones, best known as truant-hunting principal Ed Rooney in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, surrendered to police Thursday on a felony charge of "using a minor for prohibitive acts" and possessing child pornography, a misdemeanor.
Authorities accuse Jones of hiring a 14-year-old boy to pose for sexually explicit photos.
The 56-year-old actor was released after posting a $20,000 bond and is due in court for arraignment next Thursday.
If convicted, Jones faces up to three years in state prison and will have to register as a sex offender for life, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office.
D.A. rep Sandi Gibbons stressed that in both cases "the charges do not involve any sex act being performed or any video or film being taken."
Although part of the same investigation, the two cases are unrelated, authorities said. Herman was investigated after a minor came to the LAPD and accused the entertainer of sexual misconduct, according to police Captain Sharon Buck. (Reubens has not been charged with any such crime.)
Because authorities raided the homes of both men November 16, 2001, the statute of limitations on the misdemeanors would have run out at midnight Friday.
At Reubens' home, police carted off boxes containing the actor's erotic art collection, videos and personal computers, but, according to his lawyer, no child pornography. On Friday, Reubens' attorney, Blair Berk, issued a statement saying, "Mr. Reubens has never at any time knowingly possessed any artwork from his extensive vintage and antique art collection even remotely related to anything improper."
Last year, the lawyer told E! Online that Reubens was the victim of a financially motivated smear campaign.
Reubens, still most famous for his role as Pee-wee Herman, which spawned a movie franchise and the CBS kids show Pee-wee's Playhouse, has steadily reclaimed his career since an embarrassing 1991 arrest at an adult theater in Sarasota, Florida.
He was charged with exposing himself and masturbating during a screening of the X-rated gem Nancy Nurse. Reubens pleaded no contest and was slapped with a fine and community service, but the damage was done. The case attained full-blown media-circus status, and the resulting publicity led CBS to cancel his kiddie show.
Since then, he has worked tirelessly to rebuild his reputation, appearing on TV in Ally McBeal (news - Y! TV) and as the host of the short-lived You Don't Know Jack and such films as Buffy the Vampire Slayer (news - Y! TV) and Mystery Men. Last year, he scored a scene-stealing role in the Johnny Depp (news) drug saga Blow and made a cameo in the Elton John (news) video "This Train Don't Stop There Any More." He also recently announced plans to revive Pee-wee on the big screen.
Fri Nov 15, 9:00 PM ET
By Marcus Errico
First Ferris Bueller's Jeffrey Jones, now Paul Reubens (aka Pee-wee Herman) has been rung up on a kiddie-porn charge.
• Ferris Bueller star busted for child porn
• Police raid Pee-wee's playhouse
• E! Online's Paul Reubens filmography
E! Online Photo
Reubens, 50, turned himself in late Friday afternoon at the LAPD (news - web sites)'s Hollywood station. He was booked on the misdemeanor count of possessing child pornography--or in legal parlance, material depicting children under 18 engaged in sexual conduct. He posted $20,000 bail and was ordered to appear in court December 19 for arraignment.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of one year in county jail and a $2,500 fine, according to Ana Garcia, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles City Attorney.
Reubens' rep says the "claims are completely without merit. He's going to be completely vindicated at the end of the day."
Jones, best known as truant-hunting principal Ed Rooney in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, surrendered to police Thursday on a felony charge of "using a minor for prohibitive acts" and possessing child pornography, a misdemeanor.
Authorities accuse Jones of hiring a 14-year-old boy to pose for sexually explicit photos.
The 56-year-old actor was released after posting a $20,000 bond and is due in court for arraignment next Thursday.
If convicted, Jones faces up to three years in state prison and will have to register as a sex offender for life, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office.
D.A. rep Sandi Gibbons stressed that in both cases "the charges do not involve any sex act being performed or any video or film being taken."
Although part of the same investigation, the two cases are unrelated, authorities said. Herman was investigated after a minor came to the LAPD and accused the entertainer of sexual misconduct, according to police Captain Sharon Buck. (Reubens has not been charged with any such crime.)
Because authorities raided the homes of both men November 16, 2001, the statute of limitations on the misdemeanors would have run out at midnight Friday.
At Reubens' home, police carted off boxes containing the actor's erotic art collection, videos and personal computers, but, according to his lawyer, no child pornography. On Friday, Reubens' attorney, Blair Berk, issued a statement saying, "Mr. Reubens has never at any time knowingly possessed any artwork from his extensive vintage and antique art collection even remotely related to anything improper."
Last year, the lawyer told E! Online that Reubens was the victim of a financially motivated smear campaign.
Reubens, still most famous for his role as Pee-wee Herman, which spawned a movie franchise and the CBS kids show Pee-wee's Playhouse, has steadily reclaimed his career since an embarrassing 1991 arrest at an adult theater in Sarasota, Florida.
He was charged with exposing himself and masturbating during a screening of the X-rated gem Nancy Nurse. Reubens pleaded no contest and was slapped with a fine and community service, but the damage was done. The case attained full-blown media-circus status, and the resulting publicity led CBS to cancel his kiddie show.
Since then, he has worked tirelessly to rebuild his reputation, appearing on TV in Ally McBeal (news - Y! TV) and as the host of the short-lived You Don't Know Jack and such films as Buffy the Vampire Slayer (news - Y! TV) and Mystery Men. Last year, he scored a scene-stealing role in the Johnny Depp (news) drug saga Blow and made a cameo in the Elton John (news) video "This Train Don't Stop There Any More." He also recently announced plans to revive Pee-wee on the big screen.
