US pop star Michael Jackson has gone on trial in California on child molestation charges.
Mr Jackson has denied that he sexually abused a teenage boy and conspired to hold him and his family captive at his California ranch.
Following are statements by the prosecution and the defence since the trial opened on Monday.
Prosecution :: District Attorney Tom Sneddon
"Ladies and gentlemen, again the difference between the public statements and the private life of Mr Jackson could not be more different...
The private world of Michael Jackson, instead of bedtime books and discussions of Peter Pan ... he's talking to them about masturbation...
It's not children's books, but visits to Internet porn sites... magazines like Hustler, Playboy, Barely Legal...
The lives of these people will be affected forever... There is one person responsible - the defendant Michael Joe Jackson....
Defence attorney Thomas Mesereau
"I'm here to tell you these charges are fictitious, they are bogus and they never happened...
The mother, with her children as tools, was trying to find a celebrity to latch onto. Unfortunately for Michael Jackson, he fell for it. That's where it all begins.
There is a pattern by [the mother] and her children to ensnare people for money...
The best known celebrity and the most vulnerable celebrity became the mark."
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