It was 2003 when Martin Bashir's documentary, Living With Michael Jackson, aired, exposing the superstar singer's alleged sexual abuse of a teenage boy named Gavin Arivizo. Accusations made in the film, along with video footage of Jackson holding hands with a then 13-year-old Arvizo and the singer's comments on sharing a bed with young sleepover guests, resulted in charges of 10 counts of child molestation and conspiracy being pinned on the pop star in 2005.
Despite two other men Wade Robson and James Safechuck coming forward with their claims of past sexual abuse by Jackson in the documentary, Leaving Neverland, which aired on HBO on Sunday, a now-grown Arvizo was not included in the film. Director Dan Reed told British website iNews he attempted to contact Arvizo via letter, but failed to get a response.
"I wrote to Gavin, a very long and carefully worded letter. I'm still very much hoping to hear from him, but he never replied," Reed said.
Arvizo and his family were first introduced to the award-winning singer while Arvizo was suffering from a rare but deadly form of cancer. Jackson learned of his plight and sent him a basket full of toys, and after Arvizo's recovery, the singer invited the family to visit him at the Neverland Ranch in California in 2000.
During the highly publicized 2005 trial, Arvizo, who was 15 at the time, detailed an alleged sexually explicit relationship with Jackson that started during his many "sleepovers" at Jackson's ranch. Arvizo alleged Jackson gave him alcohol and fondled him twice.
"We were laying on the bed and [Jackson] told me that men have to masturbate. He told me that he wanted to teach me ... so we were laying in the bed, and then he started rubbing me ... he put his hand down my pants and he started rubbing me ... my private area ... he was masturbating me," Arvizo said in court documents, obtained and released by ABC News at the time.
Arvizo's brother, who also stayed the night at Jackson's estate, supported the claims and said he too witnessed Jackson allegedly touch Arvizo inappropriately while he was asleep.
Despite the testimonies of Arvizo, his siblings and his mother, a jury of eight women and four men deemed Jackson, who was 46 at the time, not guilty due to a lack of evidence and was acquitted of all counts.
