Jackson: Let him sleep with me
2005-04-11 22:49
Santa Maria - The mother of a boy who settled sex-abuse allegations against Michael Jackson for $20m 11 years ago told jurors on Monday her son shared a bed with the star for weeks at a time.
The woman, who was aged about 40 and appeared to be of Asian origin, also told Jackson's child-molestation trial in California that the pop icon once broke down in tears and sobbed, fearing she did not trust him with her son.
The woman is one of the most-important witnesses to be called by prosecutors to testify to previous alleged abuse of five young boys by Jackson, although she admitted that she had not spoken to her son for 11 years.
The prosecution has called her as part of a drive to show jurors that Jackson, who is on trial for allegedly fondling a young boy two years ago, allegedly has a history of molesting boys.
Broke down in tears
The woman said she allowed her then 13-year-old son to share a bed with Jackson for the first time in March 1993 when he took the family to the desert gambling haven of Las Vegas and broke down in tears.
"We're a family, (the boy) is having fun, why can't we sleep in my bed," the woman quoted Jackson as telling her on the family's second night at a luxury resort hotel.
"There is nothing wrong," she quoted Jackson as telling her.
At one point, Jackson was "sobbing, he was crying, shaking trembling", she said.
The star asked her: "Why don't you trust me?"
She said she relented and after that the boy would sleep in the same bed as Jackson at the star's Neverland Ranch, as well as at the boy's family home in Los Angeles where Jackson would sometimes stay for weeks on end.
Jackson spent more than 30 nights at the family's home - where he slept in the boy's room which only had one bed - sometimes remaining for "a week or two at a time", the elegantly-dressed woman told trial jurors.
Claimed Jackson had molested him
The woman, whose now 25-year-old son is not expected to testify at Jackson's trial, also said Jackson showered her with gifts.
In late 1993, the boy swore an affidavit, claiming Jackson had molested him on several occasions in 1993.
In 1994, the boy's family sealed a multimillion-dollar settlement with Jackson that averted criminal charges against him and bound the family to a confidentiality agreement that forbade them from speaking of the allegations.
Under that deal, details of which have been leaked to the media, the boy received $15.3m, his parents received $1.5m each, while a further $5m went towards lawyers and legal fees.