by Marcus Errico
Nov 15, 2002, 6:00 PM PT



First Ferris Bueller's Jeffrey Jones, now Paul Reubens (aka Pee-wee Herman) has been rung up on a kiddie-porn charge.

Reubens, 50, turned himself in late Friday afternoon at the LAPD'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.

a d v e r t i s e m e n t

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 and as the host of the short-lived You Don't Know Jack and such films as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Mystery Men. Last year, he scored a scene-stealing role in the Johnny Depp drug saga Blow and made a cameo in the Elton John video "This Train Don't Stop There Any More." He also recently announced plans to revive Pee-wee on the big screen.


www.eonline.com

How Sad. Here was a guy who was on t.v. with a Children's show and now he is into Child Porn? This is Crazy and Sick. What is going on ? Something in the LA Water? This as Prince says Does Not Compute. I'm Disgusted with Pee-Wee and Jeffrey Jones.

I'm not believing it until I hear more...

Yes, I'm in denial. I love Pee-wee too much.

Although of course I am against child abuse and child pornography etc... I really don't think someone should be arrested for looking at a picture of something. If that isn't your Orwellian thought-police I don't know what is.

Saw this documentary on BBC where this camera crew was following around a new police initiative to clamp down on child pornographers. There was this young professional guy who had a normal life, a normal career, a fiancee, and no intention of ever abusing anyone but he had a dodgy video clip on his PC that he must have downloaded for whatever reason (curiosity? does it really matter why?) and he got 3 years in prison! I thought that was pretty messed up.

Another case on that documentary was a old guy who lived alone but they'd heard dodgy rumours about him. They landed on his doorstep with two vans full of 20 policemen, and a camera crew with lights, reporters etc... no warrant but they cordoned off his house and searched it while curious neighbours crowded around outside the front garden and gossiped... they never found anything, but the guy that lived there had his life ruined now that he had been labelled a child abuser and had to leave his house a few months later.

I just don't get where you draw the line... if we are saying it is illegal to look at an image of someone doing something illegal, is it then illegal to think about doing something illegal? What if you look at a representation of something illegal (for example computer animation, or a drawing, or a videogame) but no one was harmed in the creation of it? Are some thoughts just too taboo to be permitted? What about other things such as rape, or murder? Should it be illegal to represent murder in some media such as film or pictures? Maybe we just need to ban all images altogether

Of course then we have cases in the UK like Jonathan King and Gary Glitter who were actively abusing kids and making child pornography etc. Those guys obviously should be locked up for a very long time.