Jacko 'tried to bribe us into silence'

Michael Jackson harassed and offered bribes to the family of his accuser to make a video clearing his name, his abuse trial heard last night.

One of the singer's employees repeatedly phoned 13-year-old Gavin Arviso's mother, the boy's stepfather alleged.

The calls left her tearful and distressed, said Jay Jackson, a major in the US Army reserves.

He alleged that the family was held captive at the star's Neverland ranch, where they were forced to make the rebuttal video praising the 46-year-old King of Pop.

The family was taken to Florida by the singer when journalist Martin Bashir's controversial documentary about Jackson aired in the US.

The programme, Living With Michael Jackson, discussed the star's penchant for sleeping with children and showed him holding hands with Gavin.

After it was shown, the family returned to Neverland with the singer. Mr Jackson alleged he received a tearful call from Mrs Arviso while she was there.

The family then went to stay for a few days at his home in Los Angeles.

While she was there, Mrs Arviso received numerous calls from one of the singer's employees, Frank Tyson - sometimes every 15 minutes. 'She was emotional. She was crying. She was sitting in the closet having these conversations with Frank,' Mr Jackson told the jury in Santa Maria, California. 'She was very distressed.'

Mr Jackson, who said he twice turned down offers of money for media interviews, claimed Mr Tyson once asked what car he drove and he later saw surveillance tapes of himself driving the vehicle.

The stepfather, who is not related to the singer, told jurors a Neverland aide offered Gavin a house, tutoring and money for a college education as incentives, all of which the family declined.

When they finally returned home three weeks later, Gavin had changed.

'He didn't want to see me, he stayed back in the back room. There was some crying,' Mr Jackson said.

The singer denies abusing Gavin, now 15, and the trial continues.