The self-styled “King of Pop”, 60, had served just over half of a seven-year sentence for sexually assaulting teenagers, but he showed no compassion for his victims, who were “of an age and mental maturity” to make their own decisions. He later said on television that he had had sex with people who were under-age.

King left Maidstone prison, Kent, at 7.10am. His supporters had been busy handing out copies of his self-produced song My Love, My Life.

A flyer accompanying the CD read: “Don’t Play This Track . . . 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 looked at Michelangelo statues because he was a homosexual.”

King said: “I am innocent of the charges against me. There’s no truth in the offences whatsoever.” He has protested his innocence since his conviction four years ago for abusing five boys aged between 13 and 15.

Later King told Five News that none of the people he had had relationships with was a child or forced to do anything they did not want to do, although some were below the age of consent.

Norman Brennan, the director of the Victims of Crime Trust, said: “He is lucky to get out as early as he did for such serious crimes for which many of us believe he should have received a far longer sentence in the first place.” He said King was a “danger to young boys”.

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