SANTA MARIA, Calif. – A forensic expert testified Friday in the Michael Jackson molestation trial that fingerprints belonging to Jackson and his 15-year-old accuser were found on the same pornographic magazine.
Nineteen prints were found on eleven explicit publications tucked into a briefcase in Jackson’s bedroom, 12 from the singer, five from his accuser and two from his accuser’s younger brother, according to retired Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Sgt. Robert Spinner.
Only one magazine had the prints of both Jackson and his accuser, he said.
The boys previously testified that they were shown adult magazines from the same briefcase. The accuser claimed that he was molested in the weeks after Jackson showed him and his brother the magazines in February 2003.
Jackson, 46, is charged with 10 criminal counts including child molestation, attempted child molestation, administering alcohol to a minor to aid in the commission of a felony, and conspiracy to kidnap, extort and falsely imprison the accuser’s family.
Spinner, who returned from retirement to evaluate the fingerprints, said that he and another crime scene investigator independently compared the prints to fingerprint cards for Jackson, the accuser and the accuser’s younger brother.
Defense attorney Thomas A. Mesereau Jr. implied in his opening statements that the defense was not disputing that the boys’ fingerprints were found in the briefcase, but would instead show that they had broken into the briefcase.
More recently, defense attorney Robert Sanger suggested in questioning that the Sheriff’s Department mishandled evidence during the secret Santa Barbara Grand Jury proceedings that resulted in Jackson’s indictment. The prosecution countered that many pieces of evidence, including the magazines, were not presented to the grand jury.
Spinner will continue his testimony Monday, but not before Superior Court Judge Rodney S. Melville considers a prosecution request to present to the jurors prior allegations of child molestation against Jackson as evidence of a propensity to commit such crimes.
Jackson has never been charged in those cases.