Boys Will Be Boys: Fact Checking MJ Stans
Oct 15, 2021
Despite presenting himself as a "Peter Pan" figure - essentially a ten-year-old boy trapped in a man's body - the police discovered that Michael Jackson possessed a significant amount of material that one wouldn't typically associate with a man-child. This included an extensive collection of pornographic material, both heterosexual and homosexual, as well as images of fully nude children.
Among these were "legal" books such as "In The Search of Young Beauty," "The Boy, A Photo Essay," and "Boys Will Be Boys." Additionally, Michael Jackson owned a fully nude picture of a child, believed to be Jonathan Spence, one of the first boys with whom he developed a special relationship.
While none of the books featuring images of nude children are technically illegal, they are undoubtedly questionable and could be categorized as child erotica. Furthermore, the fact that the latter two books were compiled by two known paedophiles, Martin Swithinbank and Ronald Drew, under the pseudonyms Georges St. Martin and Ronald C. Nelson, strongly indicates that the books were solely made for boy lovers.
The North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA), a world famous pederasty organisation recommend the two books to its members on a page containing various "legal" material, all focused around young boys.
"Those who are familiar with the long out of print The Boy and Boys Will Be Boys will appreciate the appeal of this offer and the excellent value it represents."
Source: NAMBLA.com
While the initial two books featured primarily clothed children, "Boys Will Be Boys" did not, and according to lead 2005 prosecutor Ron Zonen, the book consisted of approximately 90% nudity.
Originally released in 1966, this book is available for purchase second-hand online, often commanding exorbitant prices ranging from $500 to over $1000 (see screenshot).
Of course, Michael Jackson apologists will minimize the explicit and controversial content of these books, as well as the photo thought to be Jonathan Spence. I initially encountered a troubling comment from Twitter user @RaspberryR3d a few months ago, in which they demonstrated a lack of moral integrity and actually bragged about "trolls" spreading falsehoods about "Boys Will Be Boys." According to this user, the book "only" contained visible nudity in 127 of the 346 images, as opposed to the reported 90%.
@RaspberryR3d tweeted:
Trolls can't help but make up BS!
The book is NOT full of naked boys showing their genitals!
The book has 346 photograpahs of which 127 show visible nudity!
127 of 346 is 37%, the book isn't even half full of boys showing their genitals!
#FactsDontLieMJGuiltiersDo
View original tweet here.
In September, I encountered the same assertion, this time from @MJsFact_Vault, who, unsurprisingly is probably the same user. I inquired with MJs Fact Vault about the source of this claim, suspecting it to be another instance of misinformation. Their response was simply "the actual book."
@MJsFact_Vault tweeted:
In the 2005 trial, prosecutor Ron Zonen LIED. He stated that one of the books that was seized from Michael Jacksons home in the 1993 raid contained 90% completely nude boys. This is factually incorrect!
View original tweets here.
And:
The book "Boys Will Be Boys" has 346 photograpahs of which 127 show visible nudity. 127 of 346 is 37% NOT 90% as Ron Zonen claimed. #RonZonenIsALiar
View original tweet here.
I tweeted:
What's your source that "only" 127 of those images were of nude children (because somehow that makes it better than 300+)?
@MJsFact_Vault replied:
What's my source? How about the actual book?
The fact of the matter is Ron Zonen lied, if the books was as sinister as ya'll make out, why the need to lie about it.
View original tweets here.
However, my suspicions that this was another falsehood from @MJsFact_Vault, rather than genuine research, were validated when it was brought to my attention that the original source of the claim came from a user named @JaDversary. This user seems to have acquired both books, with the exception of the sleeve/cover of "Boys Will Be Boys."
The tweet reads:
"*not, Btw I should mention I have the books we discussed, I can confirm that BWBB is def not "90% naked pics", my 1st count had 37%, 127 pics w/visible nudity out of 346 so Zonen was full of it. The Boy I still need to count but my 1st impression is thats actually a great book."
View original tweet here.
There are a number of issues with this tweet. Not only is it deeply disturbing to minimize its contents by claiming there’s only 37% nudity of underage boys, rather than up to 90%, but to call Ron Zonen a liar, when Michael Jackson himself falsely denied all existence of these books, and the nude picture of Jonathan Spence during the 1995 Diane Sawyer interview, is the ultimate case of hypocrisy.
While I have no intention of purchasing a second-hand book filled with pictures of underage boys merely to disprove morally bankrupt Michael Jackson stans, I can still examine the court documents and other relevant sources.
For instance, if we examine the link kindly provided by @MJsFact_Vault, we can observe how the prosecution presented this material to Judge Rodney Scott Melville, and explaining its relevance and admissibility.
1 MR. ZONEN: If the Court would like, yes.
2 Just briefly, Your Honor, the books that
3 were seized in 1993 were seized at a time that was
4 contemporaneous with the evidence presented pursuant
5 to 1108. There were four young boys who were
6 involved in Michael Jackson’s life. It’s
7 interesting and unique that the maid who was called
8 to open up this file cabinet was, in fact, the
9 mother of one of those victims at that time.
10 Those books — one of the books — both of
11 the books are pictorial essays of adolescent boys.
12 One of them, about 10 percent of the photographs are
13 completely nude boys. And the other one, 90 percent
14 of the photographs are completely nude boys. The
15 possession of those books by Mr. Jackson, we
16 believe, is evidence of a prurient interest in
17 adolescent boys and it’s exactly contemporaneous
18 with the state of the evidence as to all of the 1108
19 witnesses. Therefore, we believe it adequately
20 corroborates within the meaning of People vs. Memro.
21 We’d ask that it be admitted.
In court, Ron Zonen stated that "The Boy, A Photo Essay" contains approximately 10% nudity, while "Boys Will Be Boys" features around 90% nudity.
The book and all other evidence are not locked away in a vault; everyone, including Michael Jackson's defence team, has the ability to review them. Robert Sanger, a member of the co-counsel in Michael Jackson's criminal trial, chose not to challenge or undermine Ron Zonen's statements. On the contrary, he confirmed that Michael Jackson inscribed Boys Will Be Boys. It is important to remember that these individuals sought to downplay incriminating evidence against Jackson, not to assist the prosecution.
Full document: drive.google.com
During the 2005 trial, Ron Zonen showed this book to Wade Robson, who was requested to flip through it and examine its contents. Wade affirmed that the book contained numerous nude images of young boys, some of which solely focused on the boys' genitalia.
21 FURTHER RECROSS-EXAMINATION
22 BY MR. ZONEN:
23 Q. I’d like to show you a couple exhibits, 841
24 and 842, that have been shown previously in this
25 court to this jury.
26 Let’s start with one titled “Boys Will Be
27 Boys.” I’d like you to take a look at a few of the
28 pages. Just go ahead and start turning pages, 9146
1 please.
2 Stop there for a moment.
3 Would you describe the picture on the right
4 side?
5 A. There’s a young boy with his legs open and
6 he’s naked.
7 Q. All right. The picture prominently displays
8 his genitalia, does it not?
9 A. Yes.
10 Q. That boy looks, to you, to be approximately
11 how old?
12 A. Maybe 11 or 12.
13 Q. That’s how old you were when you were
14 sleeping with Michael Jackson; is that right?
15 A. Yes.
16 Q. Go ahead and flip a couple of more pages, if
17 you would.
18 You can stop right there, the next page.
19 What’s the picture on the left show?
20 A. Just a young boy who’s naked standing on a
21 rock.
22 Q. His genitalia is prominently displayed in
23 that picture; is that correct?
24 A. Yes.
25 Q. Appears that that child is about the same as
26 the other one?
27 A. Yes.
28 Q. Flip a couple more pages. Please keep 9147
1 going.
2 Okay. Stop right there.
3 What’s in that two pages, series of two
4 pages?
5 A. There’s a boy, about the same age, 11 or 12,
6 who’s naked.
7 Q. All right. And in those pictures his
8 genitalia is prominently displayed as well; is that
9 correct?
10 A. Yes.
11 Q. In fact, if you’ll take just a second and
12 strum through the balance of that book — you can do
13 it fairly rapidly, if you would. You don’t have to
14 go page by page, but as you wish.
15 Is it true, Mr. Robson, that all of the
16 pictures in that book are of boys about the same
17 age?
18 A. Yes.
19 Q. 10, 11, 12 years old?
20 A. Yes.
Wade Robson affirms that the book predominantly features nude boys.
21 Q. And that many of the photographs, if not
22 most of the photographs, depicted in that book are
23 of boys nude; is that correct?
24 A. Yes.
25 Q. And in fact, in most of those pictures, the
26 genitalia is prominently displayed; is that right?
27 A. Yes.
28 Q. Would you be concerned with a person who 9148
1 possesses a book like that?
2 A. No.
3 Q. Would you be concerned about having your
4 12-year-old child in bed with a person who possesses
5 a book like that?
6 A. No.
While I am fully aware that Wade Robson provided a completely false defence of Jackson, and was most likely coached by Thomas Mesereau not to admit to finding any of the contents disturbing, he does confirm that he looked through the vast majority of the book, and its contents were consistent with Ron Zonen’s estimate. Thomas Mesereau, who also had access to the book, was free to object at any time if he believed his defence witness was being misled. However, he did not object. Similarly, like Robert Sanger, Thomas Mesereau focused on the inscription that Jackson wrote and asked Wade Robson to read it out loud.
FURTHER RECROSS-EXAMINATION
17 BY MR. MESEREAU:
18 Q. Mr. Robson, I want to show you Exhibit
19 No. 841. It says, “Boys Will Be Boys.” Do you see
20 this?
21 A. Yes.
22 Q. Okay. Now, I’d like you to read the
23 inscription on that book, okay? Read it out loud,
24 if you would.
25 A. Okay. “Look at the true spirit of happiness
26 and joy in these boys’ faces. This is the spirit of
27 boyhood, a life I never had and will always dream
28 of. This is the life I want for my children. MJ.” 9150
1 Q. Having read that inscription and having
2 looked at this book, would you have any concern
3 being in bed with Michael Jackson if you knew this
4 book was found in his home?
5 A. No.
It's unsettling to me that Thomas Mesereau would use that inscription to portray Michael Jackson as an innocent man-child who loved children. Did Jackson want to see his own children in fully nude poses, with their genitalia on display?
Wade Robson’s full testimony: transcript.pdf
On the now-defunct "Desiree speaks... so listen" blog, the owner purchased 3 books that were once owned by Michael Jackson, including "Boys Will Be Boys." On August 14, 2011, the owner created a poll asking readers whether images from the books should be posted uncensored or censored in an upcoming blog post. Despite the owner's intention to post them uncensored to demonstrate their graphic nature, many people pointed out that it may violate the blogger's terms and conditions.
In the comment section, Desiree, the blog owner, confirmed that she had received "Boys Will Be Boys" in the mail a few days later.
She went on to say:
“I’ve received “Boys Will Be Boys” in the mail this evening.
As many have suggested, I should ‘cover my ass’, so to speak.
The pictures in this book–which also features some shots from Charles DuBois Hodges–are worse than the other two, and this was the one Michael Jackson inscribed.
The photos are about 90% nudity, many shots prominently displaying pubescent genitals. There are several shots with boys just looking at the camera with legs spread apart, penises the center of focus.
Given everything involving Michael Jackson and boys, I cannot imagine what could have possibly motivated Michael Jackson to seek out such a title if he wasn’t interested in boys like a pedophile is.
The book is more innocent and less creepy than the perspective of McBride’s paintings and photographs (I gave the link in these comments) but that does not say much.
After people see this, there can be no doubt as to Michael Jackson’s pedophilia. NO DOUBT!
As I flipped through the book–which was published during the libertine 1960s–I was starting to wonder whether this could be considered child porn if published today. I just feel it would be.
Because of the gratuitous nudity of young boys’ genitals throughout, I wonder if I should practice careful censorship. I don’t want my blog to be deleted because rabid stans would continue to click the ‘Report Abuse’ button. I think even though it is ‘child erotica’ and we would be discussing Jacko’s possession of BWBB in an analytical context, I am afraid Blogger will see the photos and shut the site down immediately.
As such, the voting will be closed today. Thank you everyone for participating.”
Once more, we have another source confirming that the book contained approximately 90% nudity, as stated by Ron Zonen. Desiree was among the first within the Michael Jackson research community to obtain this book and shared a couple of images from it, showcasing its highly graphic contents.
View a PDF copy here: drive.google.com
Absolutely not. This is a prime example of the distorted mindset of Michael Jackson's diehard fans, who have not only been caught spreading falsehoods, but have also attempted to downplay the disturbing nature of a book explicitly crafted to appeal to individuals with an attraction to young boys.
The book in question was assembled by two convicted child abusers, endorsed and promoted by NAMBLA, commands a price of hundreds of dollars, and predominantly features images of underage boys. These facts should raise red flags for any rational individual.
While I have access to some of the images from this book, including one depicting a young, fully nude boy with his legs apart, I refuse to share them in any form. To grasp the essence of this book and its disturbing content, I suggest watching the video of Court TV host Catherine Crier presenting the book to Frank Cascio and his lawyer Joe Tacopina. Tacopina, to put it very lightly, was hysterical in his defence of this book, while Frank appeared visibly embarrassed as the host flipped through its pages.
Watch the video below.