More Freaks in Hollywood

Actors Paul Reubens and Jeffrey Jones arrested on child sex charges, though Ed Rooney would appear to be in far more trouble than Pee Wee. CNN reports the tawdry news:

Los Angeles police Thursday arrested actor Jeffrey Jones, best known for his role as the smarmy principal in the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” on charges of using a minor for sex acts and possession of child pornography, officials said.

Officer Jason Lee said a search warrant was served at Jones’ home in November 2001 after a minor alleged criminal acts of a sexual nature against the 56-year-old actor. During that search, Lee said, officers seized “numerous items of evidence.”

“For several months, detectives from Juvenile Division’s Sexually Exploited Child Unit conducted an extensive investigation into the allegations made against Jeffrey Jones,” he said.

Jones is free on $20,000 bail and is scheduled for arraignment November 21.

Jones played Ed Rooney, the dean of students, in the “Ferris Bueller” film. The actor has also appeared in such films as “Amadeus,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “Ed Wood,” “Beetlejuice” and “The Crucible.”

I didn’t like the way he looked at Winona Ryder in Beetlejuice. Seriously, this whole children as sex objects thing completely creeps me out and leaves me utterly perplexed. How can people be so vile?

Sounds like they were determined to get Pee Wee:

Actor Paul Reubens was charged Friday with one misdemeanor count of possessing material depicting children engaged in sexual conduct, a spokesman for the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office said.

Reubens’ attorney, Blair Berk, said the charge, which stems from artwork seized from Reubens’ Hollywood Hills home last year, “is simply untrue and without merit.”

“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,” Berk said in a statement. “When all the facts come out, it will be clear he did not commit any crime.”

Reubens, best known for his character Pee Wee Herman, turned himself in late Friday afternoon at an undisclosed Los Angeles Police Department facility, and bail was set at $20,000, police said. If convicted, he could face up to a year in jail and a fine of $2,500, said Matt Littman, a spokesman for the city attorney.

He said Reubens is being charged with “possession of material depicting children under the ages of 18 engaging in sexual conduct as defined under California law.”

A publicist for the actor described the material in question as photographs.

Berk said the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office found no grounds for bringing any charges after authorities seized artwork from his home last year. In Los Angeles, the district attorney handles felony charges, while the city attorney handles misdemeanor cases.

Berk said the city attorney’s office is now resuscitating a misdemeanor charge “on the very last day” that the statute would allow.