Michael Jackson witness jailed for robbery

SANTA MARIA, Calif., March 24 (UPI) -- The credibility of a key prosecution witness in Michael Jackson's California child molestation trial has been damaged by his indictment for armed robbery.

Prosecutors had high hopes that former Jackson bodyguard, Christopher Carter, 25, would provide crucial testimony that he witnessed Jackson and his teenage accuser drinking alcohol together during an airplane flight.

But Carter was indicted and jailed in Las Vegas Wednesday on 15 counts, including first-degree kidnapping, burglary, robbery, coercion and possession of a firearm by an ex-felon, CNN reported.

The indictment said Carter was first convicted in 2000 in Maryland on drug and escape charges, two years before he went to work for Jackson. The other charges relate to four armed restaurant robberies in Las Vegas, while the kidnapping charges relate to employees and patrons who were held against their will.

Carter was being held on $265,000 bond, and will appear in court Monday to face charges.