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Singer George Michael Fined; Ordered To Undergo Counseling

Former Wham! singer pleads no contest to engaging in an unspecified lewd act in a public restroom.

Former Wham! singer George Michael was fined $810 and placed on probation for two years after entering a no contest plea Thursday (May 14) in connection with an arrest for lewd conduct in a men's public restroom, according to a Reuters report.

The 34-year-old British singer was arrested April 7 in the men's room of Beverly Hills' Will Rogers City Park in Southern California. He was booked under a misdemeanor charge of lewd conduct.

Michael, who rose to fame as a solo artist with songs such as "I Want Your Sex" (RealAudio excerpt), was discovered by a police officer engaging in an unspecified "lewd act." He was alleged to have been alone in the restroom at the time that the officer discovered him engaging in the act.

As part of his sentencing, the singer, who entered the music scene in the early '80s with the new-wave dance band Wham!, was also ordered by Judge Charles Rubin to undergo five one-hour sessions of sexual counseling and to perform 80 hours of community service.

According to Reuters, Michael's lawyer, Ira Reiner, entered the plea on behalf of the singer, who was not required to be in court because the charge was a misdemeanor.

Additionally, Michael was banned from the park in which he was arrested. The park is known by local residents as a gay cruising area. Following his arrest, Michael appeared on CNN to discuss the incident and publicly revealed for the first time that he is homosexual.

Michael, who was arrested under his real name of Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, was in England at the time of his sentencing, Reuters reported.

The no contest plea under California law is the equivalent of a guilty plea.

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