The disgraced pop mogul Jonathan King today marked his release from prison with the release of a new single, and announced a crusade to clear his name and others he considers to be the victims of miscarriages of justice.

Mr King, 60, who has served just over half of his seven-year sentence for abusing young boys in the 1980s, smiled and gave the thumbs-up for the cameras as he stepped out of the gates at HM Prison, Maidstone in Kent at 7.10am.

Members of the former Genesis producer’s legal team handed out copies of the CD - a single called My Love, My Life - to waiting journalists.

Mr King continued to protest his innocence and repeated claims which he has made regularly on his website that he still believed his convictions would be quashed.

He said: "I’ve had a brilliant three-and-a-half years for crimes I did not commit. What remains is that I am innocent and my lawyer assures me my convictions will be quashed."

Mr King's release on parole was not universally applauded. A passer-by shouted "get back inside" as he stood by the prison gates with his thumbs raised and wearing a baseball cap.

Meanwhile, Natasha Finlayson, of charity ChildLine, branded Mr King's pop bid "tasteless".

The impresario, who had his first hit in 1965 with Everyone’s Gone To The Moon, said he would be campaigning to help other people he believed had been victims of miscarriages of justice.

He said: "I’m not that important. Think of the other people who have been locked up for crimes they did not commit, some of whom have killed themselves. They’re the people I care for and will crusade for."

King urged people to buy his new record, described on promotional material as "released when he is".

Before leaving in a blue Chrysler van to go to his home in Bayswater, London, he added: "As Oscar Wilde almost said when he was released 100 years ago for very similar crimes, ’On to the next adventure’."

King’s legal team handed out a flier to accompany the CD which was headed: “Don’t Play This Track ...”

The flier continues: “If you don’t play Elvis Presley because he slept with a 14-year-old girl ... or the Beatles because they had criminal records or read the work of Oscar Wilde because he liked underage boys or look at Michelangelo statues because he was a homosexual ... then you should go no further than the sleeve of Jonathan King’s ’My Love, My Life’.

“Don’t review it or purchase it or download it or programme it. According to the tabloids, the man’s a ’vile pervert’.”

King’s solicitor Giovanni di Stefano told journalists outside the prison today that his client was entitled to be released like any other prisoner.

“He has been granted parole by a parole board who don’t necessarily have any love for Jonathan King. The parole board have heard evidence that he poses no threat whatsoever.”

Mr di Stefano said King would be trying to get his convictions quashed on the grounds that the Director of Public Prosecutions had not given formal permission for the case to be taken to court.

“The consent of the DPP must be obtained. Whether it was by mistake or intentional it was not forthcoming. This is fatal to the prosecution’s case.”

Mr di Stefano said he had no doubt the self-styled king of pop would be successful again.

“He’s a man with talent and talent shines. Many great people suffer what he’s suffered and just get on with their lives.”

A black plastic sack containing King’s possessions was loaded into the back of a four-wheel-drive vehicle before the mogul left with his entourage.

Mr King was found guilty at the Old Bailey of sex offences against five teenagers aged between 14 and 15. He has signed the sex offenders' register and conditions of his early release include not working with children.

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