SANTA MARIA, California – Michael Jackson’s defence against child sex charges took a fresh blow on Tuesday when his former maid told how she caught him in the shower with an Australian boy.
The woman, whose son tearfully told jurors that he was groped three times by Jackson between the ages of seven and 10, also said she once found the star and her son in a sleeping bag in a darkened room. She told jurors of an alleged incident in 1989, when she found Jackson and an Australian boy aged seven or eight showering together as she entered the star’s bathroom at his Neverland ranch, not realising anyone was in.”I walked in and they were in the shower,” she said.”When I saw it, I saw clothes on the floor by the shower …underwear,” the former maid said, adding she recognised the underclothes of Jackson and the boy.She admitted having once told lawyers she had not actually seen the two in the shower, but insisted Tuesday she did see their outlines in the fogged-up shower, and heard their voices.The former housekeeper also said she had seen the Australian in bed with Jackson twice.On one occasion she could see that the two were naked from the waist up, but could not tell whether they were wearing pyjama bottoms as they were partly under the sheets.She said children frequently slept in Jackson’s bedroom at his Neverland Ranch.She identified one of the boys who slept in Jackson’s bedroom as former “Home Alone” child movie star Macaulay Culkin who would stay over at Neverland when he was aged eight or nine.The “Home Alone” star has said he was never abused by Jackson.The prosecution plans to present testimony about two more boys Jackson allegedly molested in the past.The faded ‘King of Pop’ is on trial for allegedly fondling a 13-year-old boy two years ago, but Judge Rodney Melville has allowed the prosecution to present the five prior allegations to determine whether there was a pattern of abuse.Jackson’s legal team had hoped on Tuesday to discredit devastating testimony offered the previous day by the maid’s now 24-year-old son, who told jurors how he was groped by the superstar as a child.The witness said Jackson had first fondled him when he was seven or eight and repeated the abuse twice more over a three year period ending in 1990.Defence lawyer Thomas Mesereau tried desperately to highlight discrepancies in the young man’s various accounts of the alleged abuse.”It was an issue when I was 13.I didn’t want to tell anybody that I’d been molested because it’s weird,” the auto parts salesman said, explaining why he told detectives in 1993 that the star never molested him.He repeatedly said he could not remember details of the interviews.He also said he had never even told his wife of the alleged abuse, which he said had seriously traumatised him, and that she learned of it only when he testified on Monday.”This was a difficult cross-examination,” said legal analyst Jim Moret.”I think the witness was believable yesterday and was believable today.He doesn’t want to remember.”The witness’ mother – who in 1994 won a settlement from Jackson on behalf of her son reportedly worth two million dollars – offered further damaging claims about the star’s behaviour with children.The former maid also described how she once found her son lying in a sleeping bag with Jackson on the floor of his Los Angeles apartment in the late 1980s.”I was concerned for my son,” she said adding:”I saw things before that with little kids.”The woman also said Jackson had given her son two US$100 bills, which the boy told jurors on Monday was “don’t tell your mom money.”- Nampa-AFPShe told jurors of an alleged incident in 1989, when she found Jackson and an Australian boy aged seven or eight showering together as she entered the star’s bathroom at his Neverland ranch, not realising anyone was in.”I walked in and they were in the shower,” she said.”When I saw it, I saw clothes on the floor by the shower …underwear,” the former maid said, adding she recognised the underclothes of Jackson and the boy.She admitted having once told lawyers she had not actually seen the two in the shower, but insisted Tuesday she did see their outlines in the fogged-up shower, and heard their voices.The former housekeeper also said she had seen the Australian in bed with Jackson twice.On one occasion she could see that the two were naked from the waist up, but could not tell whether they were wearing pyjama bottoms as they were partly under the sheets.She said children frequently slept in Jackson’s bedroom at his Neverland Ranch.She identified one of the boys who slept in Jackson’s bedroom as former “Home Alone” child movie star Macaulay Culkin who would stay over at Neverland when he was aged eight or nine.The “Home Alone” star has said he was never abused by Jackson.The prosecution plans to present testimony about two more boys Jackson allegedly molested in the past.The faded ‘King of Pop’ is on trial for allegedly fondling a 13-year-old boy two years ago, but Judge Rodney Melville has allowed the prosecution to present the five prior allegations to determine whether there was a pattern of abuse.Jackson’s legal team had hoped on Tuesday to discredit devastating testimony offered the previous day by the maid’s now 24-year-old son, who told jurors how he was groped by the superstar as a child.The witness said Jackson had first fondled him when he was seven or eight and repeated the abuse twice more over a three year period ending in 1990.Defence lawyer Thomas Mesereau tried desperately to highlight discrepancies in the young man’s various accounts of the alleged abuse.”It was an issue when I was 13.I didn’t want to tell anybody that I’d been molested because it’s weird,” the auto parts salesman said, explaining why he told detectives in 1993 that the star never molested him.He repeatedly said he could not remember details of the interviews.He also said he had never even told his wife of the alleged abuse, which he said had seriously traumatised him, and that she learned of it only when he testified on Monday.”This was a difficult cross-examination,” said legal analyst Jim Moret.”I think the witness was believable yesterday and was believable today.He doesn’t want to remember.”The witness’ mother – who in 1994 won a settlement from Jackson on behalf of her son reportedly worth two million dollars – offered further damaging claims about the star’s behaviour with children.The former maid also described how she once found her son lying in a sleeping bag with Jackson on the floor of his Los Angeles apartment in the late 1980s.”I was concerned for my son,” she said adding:”I saw things before that with little kids.”The woman also said Jackson had given her son two US$100 bills, which the boy told jurors on Monday was “don’t tell your mom money.” – Nampa-AFP
