Micheal Jackson jury sees books with naked boys

Prosecutors in Michael Jackson's abuse trial have shown the jury two books seized from the singer's bedroom which they say show naked boys. The pictures were found in 1993 during a previous molestation case involving a boy who received a multimillion-dollar settlement from Mr Jackson in 1994.

Also on Friday, prosecutors said they planned to call three new witnesses. The star denies all 10 charges against him, including plying a 13-year-old boy with alcohol and sexually abusing him. He faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted.

The pictures with nude boys - contained in two books - were seized from Mr Jackson's Neverland ranch.

It's just plain stale to bring in something from that far back Defence attorney Robert Sanger.

The jury were shown the covers of "Boys Will Be Boys," showing a painting of boys in swimsuits jumping into a pool, and "The Boy: A Photographic Essay" showing a photograph of a naked boy on rocks by the sea.

The prosecutors in the courtroom in Santa Maria, California, had argued that the books testified to what they said was the singer's sexual proclivity for young boys.

Mr Jackson's defence team had objected bitterly against the introduction of the books into evidence, saying they were too "remote in time", irrelevant to the current case and would prejudice jurors.

"It's just plain stale to bring in something from that far back," defence attorney Robert Sanger said.

However, Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville backed the prosecution's request on the grounds that the books' "probative value exceeds the prejudicial effect".

Prosecutors also said they would call three new witnesses to testify, without giving any further details.

They said they planned to complete their case against the star early next week.

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