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Security Guard Claims He Saw Michael Jackson Having Oral Sex With Young Boy
04.07.2005 6:22 PM EDT
Former Neverland employee lost earlier suit against Jackson, which forced him into bankruptcy.
Michael Jackson (file)
Photo: Getty Images
A former Neverland security guard dropped another bombshell in the Michael Jackson trial Thursday when he testified that he witnessed the pop star having oral sex with a 10-year-old boy. An ex-maid said she saw the singer inappropriately touching
then-child actor Macaulay Culkin.
Former Neverland security guard Ralph Chacon and former maid Adrian McManus are two members of what is often referred to as the "Neverland 5," a group of former employees who lost their jobs after cooperating with authorities investigating the 1993 child-molestation case against the pop star. The prosecution is revisiting past allegations to try to prove a pattern of behavior (see "Blow To The Defense: Past Molestation Claims Allowed In Jackson Case").
Chacon, who worked the overnight shift, told the court about one such incident in late 1992 or early 1993, when he was patrolling near the arcade room. He testified that he saw Jackson and the 1993 accuser go into an outdoor restroom near a Jacuzzi. He testified that he heard them in the shower, and he said he looked through a window and saw the singer and the boy, both nude and facing each other, outside of the shower. He testified that he witnessed Jackson caressing the boy's head, kissing his head and then performing sexual acts with the boy, who was 9 or 10 years old at the time. (The boy later received a multimillion-dollar settlement, but no criminal charges were filed: see "Jackson Says $25M Settlement Is Not An Admission Of Guilt").
This is the most graphic charge leveled at the singer so far in the trial, in which Jackson is accused of touching a young cancer patient and holding his family at Neverland against their will. Another young man, now 24, testified earlier this week that the singer had also fondled him (see "Witness Says Jackson Would Tickle Him, Give Him $100 Bills").
Chacon testified about a second incident, claiming that he saw Jackson find the same 1993 boy in a game room, and run off with him to a Peter Pan display, where Jackson "passionately" kissed the boy and put his hands down his pants for 10 to 20 seconds.
McManus, who worked at Neverland between 1990 and 1994, testified that she saw Jackson kiss Culkin on the cheek while his hand was on the boy's behind — a charge Culkin has denied (see "Macaulay Culkin, Corey Feldman To Testify In Jackson Case?"). She also testified that she saw similar incidents with three other boys, including the 1993 accuser, in which the singer kissed the boy on his cheek and mouth and touched him.
During both incidents, Chacon said, he did nothing. "A lot of things went through my mind, but one of them was, 'Who would believe me?' " he said. But when he was approached by investigators, he later talked to a grand jury for the 1993 case.
When Jackson's camp became aware of this, he said, he was forced to leave his job. And McManus said that when she was subpoenaed in the 1993 accuser's lawsuit, she did not tell attorneys what she witnessed because she was afraid of losing her job, since her husband had just been laid off. "I didn't tell the truth," she said. "I said I didn't see anything."
Jackson's defense attorney Thomas Mesereau went on the attack, noting that the former security guard and maid didn't only lose their jobs, but lost lawsuits against the singer for wrongful termination. Jackson countersued, and Chacon and McManus were ordered to pay Jackson damages for having stolen Neverland property, including candy bars. Chacon was ordered to pay $25,000, McManus was ordered to pay $35,000, while the Neverland 5 were ordered to collectively pay more than $1 million to Jackson for his legal expenses.
"After a six-month trial, this is a good way to get even, isn't it?" Mesereau asked.
Chacon said no, and that he had not paid anything to Jackson because he was forced into bankruptcy. He did acknowledge, however, that the Neverland 5 decided to sue after consulting a lawyer who told them that the only way they could afford the legal expense was to sell their stories to the tabloids. Chacon said they sold a story for $17,000 to pay for that lawyer, and drafted the story at his office.
(CBS News contributed to this report.)
Security Guard Claims He Saw Michael Jackson Having Oral Sex With Young Boy
04.07.2005 6:22 PM EDT
Former Neverland employee lost earlier suit against Jackson, which forced him into bankruptcy.
Michael Jackson (file)
Photo: Getty Images
A former Neverland security guard dropped another bombshell in the Michael Jackson trial Thursday when he testified that he witnessed the pop star having oral sex with a 10-year-old boy. An ex-maid said she saw the singer inappropriately touching
then-child actor Macaulay Culkin.
Former Neverland security guard Ralph Chacon and former maid Adrian McManus are two members of what is often referred to as the "Neverland 5," a group of former employees who lost their jobs after cooperating with authorities investigating the 1993 child-molestation case against the pop star. The prosecution is revisiting past allegations to try to prove a pattern of behavior (see "Blow To The Defense: Past Molestation Claims Allowed In Jackson Case").
Chacon, who worked the overnight shift, told the court about one such incident in late 1992 or early 1993, when he was patrolling near the arcade room. He testified that he saw Jackson and the 1993 accuser go into an outdoor restroom near a Jacuzzi. He testified that he heard them in the shower, and he said he looked through a window and saw the singer and the boy, both nude and facing each other, outside of the shower. He testified that he witnessed Jackson caressing the boy's head, kissing his head and then performing sexual acts with the boy, who was 9 or 10 years old at the time. (The boy later received a multimillion-dollar settlement, but no criminal charges were filed: see "Jackson Says $25M Settlement Is Not An Admission Of Guilt").
This is the most graphic charge leveled at the singer so far in the trial, in which Jackson is accused of touching a young cancer patient and holding his family at Neverland against their will. Another young man, now 24, testified earlier this week that the singer had also fondled him (see "Witness Says Jackson Would Tickle Him, Give Him $100 Bills").
Chacon testified about a second incident, claiming that he saw Jackson find the same 1993 boy in a game room, and run off with him to a Peter Pan display, where Jackson "passionately" kissed the boy and put his hands down his pants for 10 to 20 seconds.
McManus, who worked at Neverland between 1990 and 1994, testified that she saw Jackson kiss Culkin on the cheek while his hand was on the boy's behind — a charge Culkin has denied (see "Macaulay Culkin, Corey Feldman To Testify In Jackson Case?"). She also testified that she saw similar incidents with three other boys, including the 1993 accuser, in which the singer kissed the boy on his cheek and mouth and touched him.
During both incidents, Chacon said, he did nothing. "A lot of things went through my mind, but one of them was, 'Who would believe me?' " he said. But when he was approached by investigators, he later talked to a grand jury for the 1993 case.
When Jackson's camp became aware of this, he said, he was forced to leave his job. And McManus said that when she was subpoenaed in the 1993 accuser's lawsuit, she did not tell attorneys what she witnessed because she was afraid of losing her job, since her husband had just been laid off. "I didn't tell the truth," she said. "I said I didn't see anything."
Jackson's defense attorney Thomas Mesereau went on the attack, noting that the former security guard and maid didn't only lose their jobs, but lost lawsuits against the singer for wrongful termination. Jackson countersued, and Chacon and McManus were ordered to pay Jackson damages for having stolen Neverland property, including candy bars. Chacon was ordered to pay $25,000, McManus was ordered to pay $35,000, while the Neverland 5 were ordered to collectively pay more than $1 million to Jackson for his legal expenses.
"After a six-month trial, this is a good way to get even, isn't it?" Mesereau asked.
Chacon said no, and that he had not paid anything to Jackson because he was forced into bankruptcy. He did acknowledge, however, that the Neverland 5 decided to sue after consulting a lawyer who told them that the only way they could afford the legal expense was to sell their stories to the tabloids. Chacon said they sold a story for $17,000 to pay for that lawyer, and drafted the story at his office.
(CBS News contributed to this report.)
