JONATHAN KING - KING'S PAEDOPHILE CONVICTIONS TO BE REVIEWED

British pop mogul JONATHAN KING is to have his convictions for sexual assaults on teenage boys re-examined by the UK's Independent Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) after presenting new evidence in his defence.

King was released from jail last March (05) after serving half of a seven year sentence for buggery, attempted buggery and four counts of indecent assault against five boys aged between 13 and 15 years old in the mid-1980s.

Yesterday (28JAN05), the multi-millionaire record producer insisted he was in America on the dates he was alleged to have committed one of the assaults, thereby proving his innocence.

The 61-year-old, who pleaded not guilty to all charges in his 2001 court case, says, "I was in the United States between 22 August and 10 September 1985, and in New York during those three specific days. My passport and credit card details prove this.

"I also have an alibi to confirm I was at the men's (tennis) final of the US Open Championships on 8 September (85), when JOHN McENROE was defeated by IVAN LENDL."

King is hoping the new evidence will work in his favour and prove his innocence in all the assaults he was convicted of.

He adds, "The domino effect applies here. You prove one of the charges is rubbish and then other things fall into place.

"Had the jury known one of the charges was wrong, they would have been influenced by it."

According to British newspaper The Mail On Sunday, CCRC commissioner TONY FOSTER has written a letter to King's lawyers, which reads, "I have decided that the Commission should accept you client's renewed application for review of conviction."