As depicted by defense attorneys, the accuser in the Jackson case could be seen as greedy or at least coached by his mother to shake Jackson down for a settlement. Yocom said that is unusual, too.

In cases of child sex abuse that are tried here, the young victims are viewed positively by juries, he said.

"They're usually very sympathetic and generate emotions from the jury in the cases that we see," Yocom said.

Susanne Mitchell, director of the Salt Lake County Children's Justice Center, also doesn't think the Jackson verdict will influence future victims.

Among other things, child sex abuse cases are treated differently now than in the past.

"There are organizations set up right now that are victim advocate-focused and they're looking out for what's best for the victim, and sometimes that means not pursuing a case because you're not going to win," she said. "It's all based on witnesses and evidence and corroboration and your ability to convince a jury, not a judge."

The courts also have changed, she said.

"The system has really improved over the last 10 years. We have many more successes than we used to," Mitchell said. "I feel good about the justice process. It's just complicated."

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E-mail: lindat@desnews.com