Michael Jackson: 1993 allegation of child sexual abuse

In the period 1992-1993 Jordy Chandler (also called Jordan and Jordie, born January 1980) was a friend of Michael Jackson, the singer. Michael Jackson was well known to spend time with children and provide facilities and other holidays related to children. At the time little problem was seen in this. In 1993 however, allegations were made of child abuse by Jordy, 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. Also Jackson spent around 30 nights in the home of Jordy and his mother, divided into 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 other children he feted.

The friendship was in appearance, open and childlike; 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 for pulling a tooth by Evan, a dentist, Jordy said that he and Jackson often had sex. Some argue that due to his condition he lost inhibitions to tell the truth, some say that in this condition false memories could have been implanted in him. A factor noted in this connection is that the anaesthetic used was sodium amytal, a barbiturate, and was highly questionable for pulling a tooth. (Anaesthetics are often similar to truth drugs and people under their influence may likewise suffer a period of reduced critical facility and say things as fact that are fantasy, for example, although this is neither proven or disproven in this case)

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 applied oral sex to him, and that sometimes 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 is okay, and that this belief is a 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 [1].

Jordy described details of Jackson's genitals, indicating that he may at least have seen Jackson naked, and were compared with medical examinations of Mr 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 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 ([2], 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. [3] [4]. Jackson's spokespersons have repeatedly stated that the settlement was not in any way an admission of guilt, and Mr 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.

As is common in settlements, a confidentiality agreement was included within the out of court settlement. For that reason, neither Mr Jackson nor his accuser can legally talk much in public about the allegations and the settlement. Evan Chandler filed a new complaint against Jackson in 1996 for violating the confidentiality; in 1999 an arbitrator rejected it. Jordan's uncle Raymond ("Ray") Chandler is not bound by the confidentiality agreement.

In 2005, according to Ray, Jordy left the country to avoid testifying in the trial against Jackson; he states that he does not like the media attention, moving three times since the case, for that reason. His mother, June Chandler, has not seen her son in 11 years either, and Ray is also estranged from her.

See also

• Michael Jackson: 2005 trial the later 2005 trial on similar charges, and prior history stated in that case.

External links

• http://www.nndb.com/people/697/000030607/
• Legal complaint by Jordy Chandler, Sept 1993
• Claimed transcript (with detailed description of sex acts left out) of taped interview of Jordy Chandler by the late psychiatrist Richard Gardner, Oct 1993: html, gif – published in 2004 by Ray Chandler as part of his book All That Glitters [5]
• Declaration under penalty of perjury by Jordy Chandler, Dec 1993: html gif
• 1994 settlement
• Was Michael Jackson Framed? by Mary A. Fisher, GQ magazine 1994
  • lengthy critical review of GQ article by Ray Chandler