Jackson family 'devastated' by sex abuse charges

The child sex abuse charges levied against pop star Michael Jackson have devastated his family, his parents said.

Just days before the singer’s high-profile trial begins, Joe and Katherine Jackson have spoken of their grief and uncompromising support for their son.

In an exclusive interview for US television station CBS, the couple blame racism for Americans turning against the star.

The memory of Jackson being arrested still haunts his mother. “When they took him down to jail and I saw them put handcuffs on him, that hurt worse than anything else,” she said.

“A lot of people get on television just to be on television. They have to remember that there’s a family out there that loves that person they’re lying on and talking about.

"Especially a mother, and she has feelings… I do a lot of praying.” Her husband admits she has not coped well with the situation.

“She’s not doing well,” he tells interviewer Daphne Barak. “She’s taking it very, very hard.

“She don’t sleep at night. She’s awake crying. My wife cried a lot about this whole thing. She’s having problems with her heart.”

The couple reveal that Jackson has retreated from the outside world, hiding from the extensive news coverage which has gripped international media.

“I guess he wants to make sure he doesn’t hear too much news that’s going on about the whole situation,” said Joe.

Jackson, 46, has pleaded not guilty to committing a lewd act upon a child, administering an intoxicating agent, and conspiring to commit child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion.

In the interview, previewed by the New York Daily News, his father is confident that the star will revive his career if acquitted.

“Of course he can resume his career,” he said. “This is just the United States. All the rest of the countries, all over the world, are proud of Michael. It’s here we have the most trouble out of them. It is racism.” Katherine describes the charges as “ridiculous”.

She says: “I know my son. My son would never hurt a child. He loved children too much.” The interview, conducted at the couple’s Las Vegas home, will be broadcast on the CBS 48 Hours programme on Saturday night.

Meanwhile, prosecutors have called for jurors to have their own screening of the British documentary which triggered the investigation.

Martin Bashir’s Living with Michael Jackson, broadcast in 2003, is a “public relations catastrophe” for the singer, according to District Attorney Tom Sneddon.

Jackson’s defence team claim the documentary was “heavily edited in the most sensational fashion possible”.

In a separate motion the prosecution said Bashir should be required to testify in court. A judge is expected to rule on both motions tomorrow.

His trial at a court in Santa Maria, California, is due to begin on Monday.