Jackson lawyers admit he slept with children, but say it was love, not sex
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Main News
Sat May 14, 9:55 PM ET



After 11 weeks of trial, even Michael Jackson's lawyers don't deny their client slept with young boys, though they insist it entailed love and no sex.

Jackson himself has admitted in the past he liked sharing his bed with children, making it all the more difficult for his defense team to convince jurors at his child sex trial that he is innocent.

The lawyers hope the 12 jurors will eventually believe that the "King of Pop" is a misunderstood genius whose love for children is pure and innocent, and who, at age 46 is still like a child himself.

A criminal lawyer who worked for Jackson in 2003 testified on Friday that Jackson did indeed tell him at the time he shared his bed with children, but that it was out of "unconditional love."

Mark Geragos testified that Jackson had told him "nothing untoward, nothing sexual" happened during the sleepovers.

The prosecutors have portrayed the entertainer as a sexual predator who used porn and booze to lure young boys into his bed.

Jackson could face 20 years behind bars if he is found guilty of the 10 charges of molesting a 13-year-old cancer survivor, serving him alcohol and conspiring to kidnap him and his family two years ago.

The prosecutors also claim Jackson molested at least five young boys in the 1990s, though none of those allegations figure in the charges against him

One of those boys testified that Jackson fondled him on several occasions, but three others, including actor Macaulay Culkin, have denied claims the pop star ever behaved inappropriately when they spent time with him as young boys.

The defense argues that the current charges and the prior, uncharged claims were cooked up by money-grubbers eager to get hold of some of the entertainer's cash.

Geragos said Friday that when he started working for Jackson in February 2003, he rapidly grew suspicious of the young boy now accusing the famed father of three.

He said he hired a private investigator to engage in background searches and surveillance of the boy and his mother. "I was trying to prevent a crime against my client. I thought they were going to try to shake him down," Geragos told jurors.

The defense has maintained throughout the trial that the boy was a pawn in his mother's devious scheme to extort money from Jackson.

Jackson's lawyers have also ridiculed claims that their client had conspired with his aides to hold the boy and his family captive in a bid to force them to clear the entertainer's name amid a mounting outcry over a documentary about Jackson.

Prosecutors claim the film caused major panic in the Jackson camp amid worries it could further damage the star's fading career and dwindling finances.

Jackson's lawyers claim British journalist Martin Bashir misrepresented the pop singer, who was seen in the documentary holding hands with his future accuser and saying he enjoys sharing his bed with children.

Jurors were shown footage taken during the filming, in which Jackson is heard proclaiming his pure love for children while Bashir lavishes praise on him.

Asked whether that would be as close as jurors will get to hearing Jackson testify, his spokeswoman Raymone Bain insisted lead lawyer Thomas Mesereau has yet to decide whether to put his client on the witness stand.

Jackson, who has attended all the proceedings since the trial started with jury selection on January 31, is upbeat, said Bain.

"He feels he will be vindicated," she said.

Copyright ? 2005 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AFP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Agence France Presse.


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