Pop star Michael Jackson has been dramatically cleared of all child abuse charges.

Pop star Michael Jackson was tonight dramatically cleared of child abuse.

Michael Jackson’s defence suddenly rested today after prosecutors showed the jury a 2003 videotape of accuser Gavin Arvizo the first time he told investigators he had been molested by the pop star.

Defence lawyers in Michael Jackson’s child abuse trial in Santa Maria, California, are expected to call The Tonight Show host Jay Leno to testify today, and could call comedian Chris Tucker later in the day.

The only dramatic flourish – a routine motion for acquittal – came from the defence. Otherwise, the end of the prosecution's nearly 10-week case against Michael Jackson was strictly no-frills.

Michael Jackson’s child molestation trial was today shown two large books seized from the singer’s Neverland ranch, both filled with pictures of nude boys.

Stung by several recent rulings favourable to the defence, prosecutors in the Michael Jackson child-molestation case said they planned to wrap up their case as early as this week.

The mother of Michael Jackson’s accuser has denied under questioning from the singer’s attorney that bruises she claimed to have received in an altercation with shopping centre security guards were actually inflicted by her former husband.

The mother of Michael Jackson’s accuser rejected a final attack on her credibility before leaving the stand after five days of rambling testimony at the pop star’s child abuse trial.

Michael Jackson’s lawyer has launched a stinging attack on the woman at the centre of the star’s child abuse trial, suggesting she is a “good actress” out to make some easy money.

The mother of Michael Jackson’s young accuser tearfully begged a jury not to judge her as she described how she had come to trust the singer and believe everything he said.

A 14-year-old boy who said he saw Michael Jackson molest his brother admitted today that he lied under oath in another case when he swore that his mother and father never fought and that his father never hit him.

THE family of Michael Jackson’s accuser heaped praise on the singer and called him a father figure in a video shown to the jury in the pop star’s child molestation case yesterday.