Michael Jackson is dead and he’s still being accused of child molestation. Dance choreographer Wade Robson just came forward saying he was one of those abused, and he wants money from Michael Jackson’s estate. In 2005, a 13 year-old boy alleged that Jackson abused him. Being a child who used to hang out with Michael Jackson, Mr. Robson was brought in as a witness and testified that when he was young Michael Jackson did not molest him, although Mr. Jackson’s housekeeper raised some doubt when she claimed that she saw an 8 or 9 year-old Robson showering with Jackson. Mr. Robson is now taking that back.
From TMZ:
Wade met Michael when he was 5 years old and they developed a friendship that lasted for years. By the time Wade was 7, he went for sleepovers at Neverland and MJ’s homes in L.A. and Vegas. The sleepovers continued until Wade was 14.
Wade even performed to a Michael Jackson song on “Star Search” when he was 8 years old.
Wade’s lawyer filed legal docs May 1 asking the judge in the Michael Jackson Estate case to allow him to file a late creditor’s claim against the Estate. In the documents, Wade’s lawyer says he submitted a never-before filed complaint “for childhood sexual abuse.”
Wade’s lawyer has filed the actual complaint under seal — which means it’s not available to the public. Sources tell TMZ … the complaint specifically outlines the alleged abuse at the hands of Michael Jackson.
Wade’s lawyer also mentions a psychiatrist who treated Wade — the doctor is a leader in the field of child psychology.
I’m not exactly sure what California’s statues of limitations on child molestation are. According to The Los Angeles Criminal Defense Blog in 2012, California “abolished the statute of limitations for aggravated rape (which among other things can require that the victim be seriously injured).” However, they also state that they were not able to abolish statute of limitations retroactively. “The current statute of limitations for filing charges of molestation against a minor is ten years” but “Molestation charges can also be brought one year from the date it is reported to the authorities regardless of when that happens, and even if the ten-year time limit has expired.” Since the complaint is sealed, I don’t know what the exact details of Robson’s case are nor do I know how he’s going to win a case against someone who’s dead, but this is why I am not a lawyer.
In 1994, a man named Evan Chandler accused Jackson of molesting his son and got $22 million in a settlement with a stipulation that his son sign a non-disclosure agreement. Then in December of 2009, the FBI released documents pertaining to this 1994 molestation case and a separate molestation case in 2005. You can read all 333 pages of it here.
Thanks to Evil Beet
