Washington, March 7 -- The company managing the legacy of late pop icon Michael Jackson has secured a significant legal victory after a judge ruled that a high-profile civil lawsuit accusing the singer of child sex trafficking must be handled through private arbitration rather than in public court.

As per TMZ, the case was filed by Frank Cascio and his siblings, former family friends of Jackson, who are seeking more than USD 200 million in damages. The plaintiffs allege they were victims of child sex trafficking by the pop star during the 1980s.

However, the court determined that the Cascio family had previously entered into a settlement agreement with Jackson's estate that requires disputes related to the agreement to be resolved in pr...