Jackson never held family hostage, court told

MICHAEL JACKSON’S young accuser and his family were never held captive at the singer’s Neverland ranch, his child molestation trial heard yesterday.

Joe Marcus, Jackson’s property manager, said he was never ordered to hold the child hostage and claimed the family had plenty of opportunity to leave, had they so wanted.

Asked about an entry in a log kept at Neverland, which cautioned staff not to let the family off the 2,700 acre property, he said it was to prevent the boys from driving vehicles out on to the road. He told Santa Maria court he had taken the family out several times, including a shopping trip and a visit to the orthodontist. He denied he was there to guard them.