World News 04-03-2005 Inside Michael`s Bedroom who: Michael Jackson what: Hears opening arguments in his trial for child molestation where: Santa Maria, California when: Monday snippet: The jury in the Michael Jackson child abuse trial has been watching a video of the singer`s bedroom suite at the Neverland ranch in California which has revealed a glimpse into the 46-year-old singer`s bizarre fantasy world. The 12 minute film, shot by police when they raided the property searching for evidence on November 18th 2003, notably shows Jackson`s collection of lifelike mannequins of boys. One of the models was "pushing his legs up into the air in a bicycle position on a gold and red throne," says The Mirror. "Another was lying on the arm of a maroon sofa in front of a fireplace." "Mr Jackson`s fixation with children and the recreation of a childhood setting was most apparent in two rooms referred to as the `doll room` and the `toy room`," says Andrew Gumbel in The Independent, "which were filled with models of superheroes and characters from the Star Wars films, as well as dolls of every conceivable size." The trial began in Santa Maria, California, on Monday, with the prosecutor Tom Sneddon alleging that Jackson molested Gavin Arvizo - who was 13 at the time - after plying him with alcohol. The boy first visited the ranch in 2000, but the prosecution`s case focuses on events in February and March 2003. `The private world of Michael Jackson is quite different from what he reveals in the Martin Bashir video," he told the court, "and instead of `cookies and milk` you can substitute them with `wine, vodka and bourbon`." According to Mr Sneddon, after the broadcast of Martin Bashir`s revelatory documentary about the star, Living With Michael Jackson, the singer "masterminded a plot with five aides to kidnap the family and keep them prisoner - alternately at Neverland, at a Florida resort and at a California hotel," says Sky News. "Thomas Mesereau, Mr Jackson`s lawyer, told the court that Janet Arviso, Gavin`s mother, had a history of using her children to defraud celebrities," says The Times, "and had unsuccessfully sought money from the actor Jim Carrey, the boxer Mike Tyson and Adam Sandler, the comedian." As for the abuse allegations, Mr Mesereau insists they are simply untrue. The prosecution brought Martin Bashir to the stand on Tuesday, but he refused to answer questions, citing California`s "shield law", which, explains The Times, "protects journalists from being charged with contempt of court if they refuse to answer questions about their sources, or the way they gather news, while on the witness stand". Judge Rodney Melville described this as "a real ticklish area" and has, so far, refused to rule on whether Bashir will be held in contempt. On Wednesday, the impact of Bashir`s documentary was discussed in court when Jackson`s former public relations troubleshooter Ann Kite was brought to the stand. As a "PR disaster" for Jackson on a scale of one to ten, she said Martin Bashir`s documentary rated "25". She told the jury that following the alleged abduction, one of Jackson`s lawyers had told her Janet Arvizo was no longer a threat because "they had put her on tape and they were going to make her look like a crack whore". But, says The Times, she admitted she had never met Jackson and that she had tried to warn the Jackson family that Michael had no knowledge of what his legal and public relations advisers were doing. [... more]

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