Actors - 1993 child molestation allegations against Michael Jackson

Home > Listing Index > Actors > 1993 child molestation allegations against Michael Jackson

	Actors - 1993 child molestation allegations against Michael Jackson

In the period 1992-1993 Jordy Chandler (also called Jordan and Jordie, born January 1980) was a friend of Michael Jackson, the singer. It was well known that Michael Jackson spent a great deal of time with children and provided facilities and holidays for them. At the time this was not seen to be a problem. In 1993, however, allegations of child abuse were made by Jordy's parents, which were investigated but later settled out of court.

This case also forms part of the backdrop for the 2005 trial with Gavin Arvizo claiming he too was abused.

Background

At the time of the alleged incidents, Jackson and Jordy were close friends. Together with Jordy's mother and half-sister, they stayed at Neverland Ranch, at Jackson's Century City, Los Angeles apartment ("The Hideout"), and in May-July 1993, they visited Las Vegas, Orlando, Florida, Monaco (for the World Music Awards), Disneyland Resort Paris, and New York. Jackson also spent a total of around 30 nights in Jordy and his mother's home, in several periods of 1-2 weeks, and two weekends at the house of Jordy's divorced father, Evan Chandler. At times he stayed with Jordy in Jordy's bed, a habit he adopted with the other children he feted.

The friendship was apparent and open - for example, Jordy sat on Jackson's lap in the front row of the World Music Awards ceremony, next to Albert II, Prince of Monaco. Jackson's stated view on this was, in essence, that children should be treated and brought up naturally and not taught to fear adult company.

In 1993, after waking up from anesthesia after having a tooth pulled, Jordy claimed that he and Jackson often had sex. Some claim that due to his condition he had lost his inhibitions about telling the truth, while others argue that in this condition false memories could have been implanted. A relevant factor is that the anaesthetic used was sodium amytal, a barbiturate, whose use merely in the pulling of a tooth is highly questionable. Anaesthetics are often similar to truth drugs and people under their influence may likewise suffer a period of reduced critical facility and may, for example, say things as fact that are fantasy, although whether this is the case in this instance is neither proven or disproven.

Allegations

According to Ray Chandler's claimed transcription of an interview, see below, Jackson and Jordy shared a bed, but at least initially this was non-sexual. Jordy's mother June Chandler first objected, but Jackson convinced her by saying (summarized) "There's nothing wrong with it, you should allow it because it's simple and fun and you shouldn't set up barricades". In the 2005 trial, June confirmed this: "He said: 'You don't trust me? We're a family... Jordy is having fun. Why can't he sleep in my bed? There's nothing wrong. There's nothing going on'."

Later it was alleged that Jackson masturbated Jordy many times and also performed oral sex on him, and that Jordy had masturbated Jackson. According to Jordy (and based upon Ray Chandler's claimed transcription of what Jordy had said) Jackson said that he believed that this was okay, and that this belief was matter of being "unconditioned" (ie free from social conditioning).

Later that year Jordy filed a complaint against Jackson. Neverland Ranch was searched. Among other things, the book "The Boy, A Photographic Essay" was found, with photographs of nude children. Although some may look upon it as child erotica, it is legal and not child pornography .

Jordy described details of Jackson's genitals, indicating that he may at least have seen Jackson naked; they were compared with medical examinations of Jackson's body during the investigation.

Investigations, settlement and aftermath

Jackson settled the boy's civil lawsuit with the payment of an undisclosed amount of money. The sum was speculatively set at between $2 – $50 million, depending on the media source.

There were criminal investigations led by district attorney Thomas W. Sneddon Jr., with grand juries in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. As a result of the payment, the boy declined to testify. For that reason the prosecution declined to file charges (, end). As of 2003, the prosecution described the case as "open, but inactive".

Californian law was subsequently modified, to prevent minors having a financial incentive not to testify in a criminal lawsuit. . Jackson's spokespersons have repeatedly stated that the settlement was not in any way an admission of guilt, and Jackson himself has repeatedly denied the allegations.

Public opinion is divided; some feel it was a partial confession on Jackson's behalf, others that it was successful extortion. The book, "Michael Jackson Was My Lover" by Victor Gutierrez is about the case. It was not published in the U.S. because Jackson won a libel suit against the author.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for 1993 child molestation allegations against Michael Jackson ]

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article 1993 child molestation allegations against Michael Jackson; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.

Searches on eBay