LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) – Michael Jackson turned himself in to a Santa Barbara, Calif., jail on Thursday (Nov. 20).

The King of Pop was led, handcuffed, into jail where it took about an hour to get booked, whereupon he immediately posted his $3 million bail, according to the AP.

The 45-year-old star faces child molestation charges that are punishable by three to eight years in prison if he’s convicted.

In an interview with CNN, Jermaine Jackson defended his brother, saying, “The whole family supports Michael 100 percent, 1,000 percent. Michael is innocent.” He also referred to the recent events as “nothing but a modern-day lynching.”

Jackson was in Las Vegas on Tuesday (Nov. 18) when police began searching his Neverland ranch in response to allegations by a 12-year-old boy claiming sexual misconduct. The next day, a warrant went out for his arrest, leading to his surrender.

Formal charges will not be filed until after Thanksgiving. Mark Geragos, the defense attorney in the Laci Peterson murder case, will represent Jackson, whose arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 9.

Now a free man, Jackson headed back to Las Vegas in a black Lincoln Navigator, where he was greeted by supportive fans at each stop light.

Jackson became an international star with albums such as “Thriller” and “Bad.” He has also acted in several films including 1978’s “The Wiz” as the loose-limbed Scarecrow and recently had a cameo as Agent M in 2002’s “Men in Black II.”