Prosecution Outlines Case Against Michael Jackson

In his opening statement to the jury in the Michael Jackson child molestation case, District Attorney Thomas Sneddon outlined a complicated conspiracy case against Jackson and his employees and promised the jury they would hear the details of a pattern of "strange sexual behavior" directly from the teenaged accuser.

"(He) will describe to you his sexual experiences with Michael Jackson. He will do it here in open court and he will do it with the whole world watching," said Sneddon.

Other than the child molestation charges, Jackson is also accused of false imprisonment of the teenage boy and his family. Sneddon told the jury they will see evidence of a conspiracy to control the family after a February 2003 documentary "living With Michael Jackson" by Martin Bashir was filmed.

In the documentary, Jackson is shown holding hands with the teenager who later accused him of molestation, and defending his practice of sleeping with children. Bashir is expected to be the prosecution's first witness.

Sneddon outlined measures that Jackson and his associates took to try to get them to make another video defending Jackson, threats made against the family, and steps taken to keep them from leaving his Neverland Ranch.

Strange Sexual Behavior

Sneddon also described some of the bizarre sexual behavior that took place at the Neverland Ranch. He said the first time that accuser visited the Jackson ranch the singer showed him and his own son, Prince Michael, sexually explicit web sites.

He said searches of the ranch turned up sexually explicit DVDs and magazines which included pictures of naked children. Some of the magazines had fingerprints of both Jackson and his accuser.

"It's not children's books, but visits to Internet porn sites ... magazines like Hustler, Playboy, Barely Legal," Sneddon told the jury. "The private world of Michael Jackson reveals that instead of cookies and milk you can substitute wine, bourbon and vodka."

In his opening statements, defense attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr. immediately began attacking the credibility of the accuser and his mother, describing them as con artists who have repeatedly tried to exploit the boy's cancer to get money from celebrities.

See Also:
Jury Hears Prosecution Outline Case Against Michael Jackson
Prosecutors Finally Reveal Detailed Allegations Against Michael Jackson
Prosecution Lays Out Lurid Details of Charges Against Michael Jackson

Background:
The Michael Jackson Case
King of Pop or Wacko Jacko?
Witnesses Back Up Jackson Accuser's Claims
Jackson Accusation Details Revealed