Michael Jackson’s former PR believes singer to be guilty of child abuse in new documentary

Former publicist Vincent Amen says he believes Michael Jackson was guilty of child abuse and cover-up followed

Vincent Amen, a former public relations adviser to Michael Jackson, has said he believes the late singer was guilty of child abuse and that a cover-up surrounded the allegations, as he appears in a new Channel 4 documentary examining the 2005 trial against the pop star.

“I absolutely believe that Michael Jackson is guilty of child abuse and molestation,” Amen says in the programme, Michael Jackson: The Trial. “I believe there was a cover-up for so many years.”

Amen worked within Jackson’s inner circle in the early 2000s and was considered by California prosecutors to be a key figure in what they alleged was an effort to manage the fallout from accusations involving Gavin Arvizo.

Jackson was tried in 2005 on multiple counts of child molestation and conspiracy, including allegations of false imprisonment. He was acquitted of all charges.

The documentary revisits the events following Martin Bashir’s 2003 ITV film Living with Michael Jackson, in which Jackson appeared alongside Arvizo and spoke about sharing his bed with children.

Jackson told Bashir: “I have slept in a bed with many children… The most loving thing to do is to share your bed with someone.”

Amen says his suspicions intensified after he discovered a naturist magazine containing advertisements for videos featuring “naked kids”, which he claims were marked to be ordered.

He says this discovery led him to believe he had been misled about Jackson’s conduct and prompted him to speak to prosecutors, although he was not called to testify.

The programme also examines Amen’s relationship with Frank Cascio, a long-time associate of Jackson who is now seeking to pursue his own allegations of sexual abuse in the US courts. Cascio, along with his siblings, is reportedly attempting to overturn a prior financial agreement with the Jackson estate.

Amen appears in the four-part series to provide insight into the atmosphere surrounding the trial and the actions taken by those close to Jackson at the time. Michael Jackson: The Trial begins on Channel 4 on Wednesday 4 February at 9pm.