Jackson 'offered abuse boy house'

Mr Jackson has been at court with sisters LaToya (left) and Janet

Michael Jackson offered to give the boy at the centre of his child molestation case a house and college funds, the child's stepfather has said in court.

The man, who was not identified, told a pre-trial hearing in California on Thursday the singer wanted the family to take part in a video praising him.

He said a "gentleman from Neverland", the singer's ranch, made the offer.

Mr Jackson has pleaded not guilty to 10 child abuse charges. His trial is scheduled to start on 31 January 2005.

The boy was asked to appear in the video - which has not been made public - to help clear Mr Jackson's name.

But the stepfather did not confirm the content of the video, and told the court he asked for even more money than was being offered.

The singer was at court for the hearing's first day on Monday

"I said, 'All that's well and good but this family has nothing,'" he said.

"'I know you are making several million off of this, what are you offering this little family to get them to do what you want them to do?'"

The video was seized by authorities from the office of private investigator Bradley Miller, who was working for Mr Jackson's lawyer.

In the pre-trial hearing, the singer's legal team is trying to get the evidence seized in the raid ruled out. They say it violated the attorney-client relationship.

Prosecutors, the stepfather and other witnesses have said they did not know Mr Miller was working for Mr Jackson's then-lawyer Mark Geragos.

Raid video

A police video of the November raid on Neverland was also shown in court on Thursday, revealing Mr Jackson's lavish lifestyle at the ranch.

I personally, have suffered through many hurtful lies and references to me as 'Wacko Jacko' Michael Jackson

It showed a classroom, a room filled with dolls, a Daffy Duck statue in his private quarters, a games arcade and a secret entrance to a wine cellar hidden behind a jukebox.

Also on Thursday, in an unrelated statement approved by the case judge, Mr Jackson complained his family had been "vilified and humiliated".

"It is unfortunate that for years, we have been targets of completely inaccurate and false portrayals," he said in the statement on his news website.

"I personally, have suffered through many hurtful lies and references to me as 'Wacko Jacko' as well as the latest untruth about me fathering quadruplets."

The statement was in response to a TV movie of his life, Man in the Mirror, to be broadcast in the US on Saturday.