Jackson visited boy in hospital, court hears

THE comedy camp owner who first introduced Michael Jackson to his young accuser described yesterday how he visited the boy in hospital.

Jamie Masada told Santa Maria Court, California, that he took comedians to visit the 13-year-old cancer sufferer to try to cheer him up.

He told jurors how sick the boy looked. “His stomach was big. It was yellow,” he said. “Oh God, don’t bring that memory back.”

Masada said he also gave the boy gifts to encourage him. “I would say, if you eat I’ll give you 50 bucks. I would give him every week, maybe some money,” he said.

Masada owned the Laugh Factory in Hollywood, a comedy camp for underprivileged children.

Jackson’s accuser was taken there by his family and introduced to comedians who organised benefit gigs to help his family fund his treatment.

The boy met Jackson after Masada promised to introduce him to celebrities as he struggled through chemotherapy. The child said it was Jackson he most wanted to meet and the pop star responded to Masada’s pleas, he said.

Jackson arrived at court looking relaxed and upbeat, despite yesterday’s ruling that previous sex abuse allegations could be admitted as evidence in his trial.

Five alleged victims, including actor Macaulay Culkin, were named in court and will be called to give evidence, a bitter blow for the defence team.

A criminal defence lawyer in court for the hearing said Jackson “looked like the life had gone out of him” as he heard of the decision.

Jackson denies molesting his accuser, plying him with alcohol and conspiring to hold him and his family captive.

Jackson, 46, is on trial accused of molesting the former cancer patient - then 13 - at his Neverland ranch in 2003.

Yesterday’s evidence came a day after Judge Rodney S Melville delivered a major setback to Jackson’s defence, ruling that prosecutors can introduce evidence that the pop star molested or had designs on five boys.

“I think there’s probably a feeling that at least there will be some justice in regards to the events from ‘93 and ‘94,” said Jim Thomas, an NBC News analyst and former Santa Barbara County sheriff who investigated the cases.

In testimony yesterday, defence lawyer Robert Sanger tried to undermine testimony about fingerprints of Jackson, his accuser and the accuser’s brother being found on adult magazines seized from Jackson’s home. One magazine has been said to have prints from both Jackson and the accuser.

Sanger asked sheriff’s fingerprint expert Robert Spinner whether two different fingerprints could appear to be the same. Spinner said no.

“That’s a theory?” Sanger asked.

“I think that’s a proven fact over 100 years,” Spinner said.