Is Michael Jackson Stuck in Childhood?

Nov. 21 -- For years, Michael Jackson's eccentric behavior has fascinated the world. Now, some medical experts are wondering whether the King of Pop suffers from some "psycho-emotional" retardation that causes him to live in a kind of permanent childhood.

With an amusement park for a back yard and penchant for entertaining young friends, is Jackson just a big kid himself, or could his actions signal something more troubling?

Jackson, 45, surrendered Thursday to police in Santa Barbara County, Calif., after authorities obtained an arrest warrant accusing him of multiple counts of child molestation. Jackson has denied the allegations and says he will be vindicated in court.

The singer spends a great deal of his time associating with children, but he himself maintains many childlike qualities. He speaks in a childlike voice and pursues childish activities such as scooter riding (even when children are not present). Like Peter Pan, he even lives in a place called Neverland.

Permanent Childhood

Many people love children, and there is nothing necessarily sinister about Jackson's affinity for youngsters. None of the experts in forensic psychiatry and child development who were interviewed had any direct knowledge of the case, and none made any judgment on Jackson's possible guilt or innocence.

It is the seemingly extreme childishness that Jackson himself exhibits that experts find unique.

Television interviews with Jackson make it appear as if he wants to "hang onto and preserve his childlike demeanor," said Dr. Fred Berlin, a psychiatric expert in pedophilia at Johns Hopkins University. "He seems proud of it."

"He seems stuck in childhood himself," said forensic psychiatrist Ryan Finkenbine of West Virginia University Medical School. "It's one of the more interesting aspects of the case."

Michael Borack, a forensic psychiatrist at the University of Cincinnati Medical School, has evaluated many pedophiles, and says Jackson does not fit the usual profile.