SANTA MARIA, Calif. — Michael Jackson may have been acquitted, but if jurors' words are anything to go by, he was not exonerated.

In post-trial comments, several hinted — and some said bluntly — that they suspected he had indeed molested children. But faced with instructions to find him guilty beyond reasonable doubt, though, they conceded that they had to vote not guilty. Many who followed the case say that was a victory for the justice system but not necessarily for Jackson, 46, who remained holed up at his Neverland Ranch yesterday.

"Not guilty is not the same as innocent," said former Santa Barbara prosecutor Craig Smith, who followed the trial from the start. "But our whole system is based on the premise that it's better to let a guilty man go free than convict an innocent man."

Jackson did not release a statement, but his attorney, Thomas Mesereau Jr., said the pop star is going to be more careful from now on and not let children into his bed anymore because "it makes him vulnerable to false charges."

Outside Neverland, fans' cars lined the narrow country road leading to the estate, and pro-Jackson signs indicated the international flavor of his fan base. "Iran is here for Michael!" read one posted near the huge gates that opened every few minutes to allow Jackson associates into the heavily guarded compound. "From Italy, Michael We Stand 4U," read another, alongside a sign with Japanese lettering and a message in English: "Make Love Your Weapon."

In a news conference and in interviews after Jackson was acquitted on all 10 counts, jurors sent a clear message that they were not so much convinced of Jackson's innocence as unconvinced of his guilt, based on faulty evidence and flaky witnesses.

Prosecutors were allowed to support the allegations that Jackson abused the 13-year-old in 2003 by bringing in evidence of inappropriate behavior with other boys, even though those purported incidents never led to criminal charges.

Some jurors indicated that they were inclined to believe Jackson had such a past, but that it did not prove the current allegations against Jackson.

"He's just not guilty of the crimes he's been charged with," said juror Ray Hultman. "He probably has molested boys at some point."

Two other jurors and one alternate who appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America" raised their hands when asked if they thought Jackson may have molested other children but not the accuser in this trial.

"We had our suspicions, but we couldn't judge on that because it wasn't what we were there to do," said Eleanor Cook, 79.