Boy Portrayed as Pawn for Jackson

SANTA MARIA, Calif. —  Prosecutors on Tuesday cast Michael Jackson as a bizarre schemer who held the family of his alleged molestation victim under virtual house arrest in order to tape a video of the boy proclaiming the pop star’s innocence.

In the aftermath of a disastrous documentary that aired in early 2003, Jackson saw the boy -- referred to in court as John Doe -- as “the one person who could put out the fire,” Santa Barbara County prosecutor Gordon Auchincloss contended in a pretrial hearing. In the documentary, Jackson damaged his own reputation by acknowledging sleepovers with young boys at his palatial Neverland Ranch.

The singer, who is charged with molesting the 12-year-old cancer patient and conspiring to cover it up, had said on the British-made TV program that no sexual contact occurred with any child at Neverland. Even so, the prosecutor said, the world reacted with “loathing and scorn,” and a desperate Jackson came to think of the boy as the perfect spokesman for his wholesome, childlike intentions.

Although general, the prosecutor’s allegations are a stark departure for a case in which so much has been conducted in secret, from the grand jury’s meeting place to routine motions. Much of the indictment against Jackson is still under wraps, despite ongoing legal efforts by a media coalition that includes The Times.

Outlining a few of the “overt acts” that were hallmarks of Jackson’s alleged conspiracy, Auchincloss offered a glimpse into a prosecution strategy of attacking Jackson as a ruthless predator. In addition to the molestation charge, the singer is charged with administering alcohol to a child, conspiring to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion.

Defense attorneys angrily countered that John Doe’s mother, called Jane Doe in court, was money-hungry and untrustworthy.

“I’ll say it’s a shakedown,” said Thomas Mesereau Jr., Jackson’s lead attorney, echoing a comment by his predecessor, Mark Geragos.

“It’s utterly ridiculous that you can imprison these people to somehow get a film made,” he said. “It will be laughed out of court because it’s so ridiculous.”

The comments came during arguments on a defense motion to throw out Jackson’s grand jury indictment. Superior Court Judge Rodney S. Melville said he would issue a written ruling on the motion, but in the meantime agreed to postpone the scheduled Sept. 13 trial until Jan. 31.

Auchincloss contended that at first, Jackson treated the boy and his family to a host of excesses in an effort to win them over. He said Jackson bought the boy, his mother, his brother and his sister lavish gifts. At Neverland, he gave them “a world of self-indulgence,” the prosecutor said: “Eat what you want, do what you want, stay up late, no homework, no school.”

Along the way, the prosecutor alleged, Jackson invited the boy into his bed and molested him.

But when the family tried to leave Neverland, Jackson had his aides keep them against their will, Auchincloss said. In a “deceitful and despicable” threat, the star suggested he would turn the children over to authorities if their mother kept resisting his pleas to let her son go public, the prosecutor said.

Mesereau scoffed at the claims, pointing out that the family managed to “escape” Neverland but returned just a week later.

“Free room and board, a trip to Florida, a luxury hotel in Miami, an unlimited charge card: That’s all part of a conspiracy?” he asked.

The defense has attacked the Santa Barbara district attorney’s office on a number of fronts. In an effort to get the indictment dismissed, Jackson’s attorneys have painted Dist. Atty. Tom Sneddon as an unscrupulous operator who bullied and misled the grand jury.

They also are asking Melville to throw out evidence seized during a raid at the office of a Beverly Hills private investigator, Bradley Miller. On Tuesday, they called to the stand four Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies and a district attorney’s investigator who were involved in the office search.

All denied even speculating that Miller may have been working for Geragos, Jackson’s attorney at the time. The defense contends that seizing materials from a defense investigator is as improper as snatching records from the defendant’s attorney.

Additional testimony to pin down the identity of Miller’s employer will be offered at a hearing scheduled for Aug. 16. Sneddon himself is scheduled to testify. The alleged victim’s mother might also be called to the stand, though unspecified health problems may keep her away, lawyers said.

Jackson’s trial had been set to begin Sept. 13. However, the judge and attorneys for both sides agreed Tuesday that a delay is necessary so prosecutors and defense attorneys can have more time to scrutinize evidence.