Michael Jackson’s ‘Boy Books’: The Troubling 1993 Discovery
April 4, 2020
In 1993, police raided Michael Jackson’s homes and seized a number of items, including three books: Boys Will Be Boys, In Search of Young Beauty, and The Boy: A Photographic Essay. More than a decade later, during Jackson’s 2005 trial, prosecutors presented these books in court under California’s Evidence Code 1108, which allows “prior bad acts” to be considered as evidence. Their argument was that the material suggested Jackson had a sexual interest in boys who were either pre-teens or in their early teenage years.
The books contained photographs of children in different situations. Some images showed them fully clothed, while others depicted them partially dressed or completely naked. Certain pictures were explicit, with close-up shots of the children’s buttocks and genitals.
Below are the items:
From the search of defendant's bedroom in 1993, the following unnumbered items.
Book: "Boys Will Be Boys," containing photographs of boys under the age of 14; full frontal nudity. The book is personally inscribed by Michael Jackson.
Book: "In Search of Young Beauty," containing photographs of children, both boys and girls; some nude.
Book: "The Boy, A Photographic Essay"; containing black-and-white photos of boys, some nude;
Photograph: A photograph of a boy, believed to be Jonathan Spence; fully nude.
Photograph: A photograph of a young boy holding an umbrella; wearing bikini bottoms, partially pulled down.
You can browse selected extracts from these books by following the links below:
During coverage of the 2005 trial, Court TV host Catherine Crier displayed several images from Boys Will Be Boys to Frank Cascio and his lawyer, Joe Tacopina. The material appeared to cause Frank considerable discomfort, as he looked visibly embarrassed when confronted with its content.
Although these books are not against the law, and they do not depict children being physically harmed, they are often seen as sexually suggestive. Because of this, they can act as a form of fantasy material for people with paedophilic interests.
Experts who study and investigate paedophiles, such as Ken Lanning, have described this type of content as “child erotica.” Unlike child pornography, which is illegal, child erotica refers to material that is lawful to own but still carries sexual undertones involving children. Former police officers and investigators, including Bill Dworin, have pointed out that paedophiles frequently collect such material precisely because it is legally available. It can then be used to fuel sexual arousal, even though it does not cross the threshold of illegality.
In court cases dealing with sexual abuse, these books and similar items can still play an important role. While they may not meet the strict legal definition of child pornography, they can be introduced as evidence to demonstrate patterns of behaviour, intent, or sexual interest in children. For example, during legal discussions on 29 April 2005, prosecutors stressed how vital it is to recognise and confront this issue. Their argument was that ignoring such material risks overlooking a significant part of how offenders operate and prepare for abuse.
MR. ZONEN: If the Court would like, yes. Just briefly, Your Honor, the books that were seized in 1993 were seized at a time that was contemporaneous with the evidence presented pursuant to 1108. There were four young boys who were involved in Michael Jackson's life. It's interesting and unique that the maid who was called to open up this file cabinet was, in fact, the mother of one of those victims at that time.
Those books -- one of the books -- both of the books are pictorial essays of adolescent boys. One of them, about 10 percent of the photographs are completely nude boys. And the other one, 90 percent of the photographs are completely nude boys. The possession of those books by Mr. Jackson, we believe, is evidence of a prurient interest in adolescent boys and it's exactly contemporaneous with the state of the evidence as to all of the 1108 witnesses. Therefore, we believe it adequately corroborates within the meaning of People vs. Memro. We'd ask that it be admitted.
The books were not discovered among piles of fan mail or casually left lying around one of the many buildings at Neverland. Instead, they were located in a locked cabinet inside Michael Jackson’s own master bedroom. This detail is significant because it shows the material was kept in a private, secure place rather than being something accidentally left behind or forgotten.
During the trial, LAPD officer Rosibel Smith gave testimony confirming where the books were found. Her statement underlined that the discovery was not incidental but pointed to deliberate possession, with the locked cabinet suggesting an intention to keep the items hidden yet accessible.
Q. BY MR. ZONEN: I'm going to show you three objects at this time. Exhibits No. 841 and 842; would you take a look at those two objects, please?
A. Okay.
Q. Do you recognize those two books?
A. Yes, I do.
Q. Did you seize those two books?
A. Yes, I did.
Q. From where?
A. These books were seized from a cabinet within Michael Jackson's closet in the master bedroom.
Q. All right. Describe his bedroom for us, please.
A. The bedroom is a very large --
MR. SANGER: Your Honor, I think it would be cumulative at this time, wouldn't it?
THE COURT: Sustained.
Q. BY MR. ZONEN: All right. Tell us where in his bedroom this particular closet is.
A. It was off to the side of the main bedroom.
There were -- actually, there were two closets on either side of the room, and this would have been the side where the Jacuzzi was located.
Q. Now, this is the first floor of his bedroom suite; is that right?
A. That's correct.
Q. Was there a bed in that bedroom suite?
A. Yes.
Q. I'm going to show you Exhibit No. 856.
A. Okay.
Q. Do you recognize that photograph?
A. Yes, I do.
Q. And that photograph is what?
A. This is a photograph that was taken during the search warrant of Neverland Ranch, and it depicts the file cabinet that the books were seized from.
Q. All right. And is that file cabinet depicted in that photograph?
A. Yes, it is.
Q. How many drawers in that file cabinet?
A. Four.
Q. In which drawer were those two books seized, from which drawer?
A. From the third drawer.
Q. Was that file cabinet locked?
A. Yes, it was.
Q. How were you able to unlock it?
A. We were able to get the key from -- the maid brought the key over to the home and we were able to unlock it at that time.
Q. Do you remember which maid that was?
A. I believe it was Blanca Francia.
Bill Dworin, a retired detective from the Los Angeles Police Department, appeared in the documentary Michael Jackson’s Secret World. Dworin had spent over twenty‑two years working in the Sexually Exploited Children Unit, a specialist division that investigated cases of child abuse and exploitation. Drawing on his long career, he gave his perspective in the film, explaining the patterns of behaviour he had seen and the importance of recognising how offenders often operate.
Who Made the Books?
The disturbing books in question were produced by known paedophiles Martin Swithinbank and Ronald Drew, who hid behind the names Georges St. Martin and Ronald C. Nelson.
Swithinbank, once a member of NAMBLA, has a deeply troubling past. He was jailed for sexually abusing young children and, after serving his sentence, deported because of the seriousness of his crimes. His co-author, Ronald Drew, is no less alarming. He was dismissed from his teaching job after being found guilty of sexually abusing a pupil.
What makes these publications even more appalling is the involvement of other self-proclaimed paedophiles, including Hajo Ortil, Karel Egermeier, Jos Le Doare and Jacques Simonot. They contributed photographs to the books, showing how deliberately these works were created to appeal to a deviant audience.
Adding to the horror, one of the photographers, Hajo Ortil, gave an interview to a website that openly promotes sexual relationships between adults and children. In it, he boasted about his abuse of children and admitted working with Swithinbank on both books.
PAN: That joy comes through so strongly in your photos. All of us can remember when those first big books came out, The Boy and Boys Will Be Boys.
ORTIL: I was chief contributor That was with Mr. Swithinbank in New York. These two books, that's the merit of him. But he never paid, and then the police searched his home and took away everything.
Another contributor, D.W. Nichols – who openly described himself as a “boy lover” – spoke about how the books were created in a 1977 interview with the Midwest Gay Academic Journal (Volume 1, Issues 1–3). In that interview, he also pointed out that the publishers, Book Explorers Inc., were well known at the time for distributing material aimed at boy lovers.
TSAG: I’m in Lansing, Michigan, with D.W. Nichols, author of Toward A Perspective for Boy-Lovers (1976), as well as a number of articles that have appeared in Better Life Monthly and a boy-star review column that was featured regularly in Hermes. How did you become interested in boy-love?
NICHOLS: I became interested in it because I’m a boy-lover myself, obviously. From 1967 through 1970, I was with Book Explorers, Inc., in New York City, and its offspring enterprises, and these companies were publishers of boy-love material. Naturally, many BLs [Boy-lovers] would write us or come into the office and discuss their problems and interests; sometimes they would bring their boyfriends along. I thus met numerous people with this particular interest and so became more knowledgeable about the subject than I otherwise would have.
(...)
T: Did Book Explorers go defunct?
N: Yes, it was for financial reasons that it went under. There just weren’t enough BLs to support the high quality publishing projects we were involved in. I don’t know if you are familiar with any of the books we did.
T: Yes, Boys Will Be Boys.
N: Yes, and The Boy: A Photographic Essay, and Boyhood Magazine. Technically speaking, the two books were published by Book Adventures, which is the enterprise Book Explorers evolved out of. As a project of one of the offspring companies, we also published a book on boy prostitution entitled Boys for Sale, which in fact was co-authored by Rossman, then using the pen-name, Jonathan Drake. (Rossman’s contribution was largely in supplying the information for the book.) Anyway, as you probably know, Robin Lloyd has relied on this work in his own book (For Money or Love, 1976).
A newsletter published by NAMBLA made direct reference to the books, setting them alongside another title, Made in the USA, in a comparative review. In doing so, the organisation effectively endorsed the books, presenting them as legitimate reading material for its members.
Those familiar with The Boy and Boys Will Be Boys, long out of print, will appreciate the appeal of this offering and the excellent value it represents.
Apologists excuses
Supporters of Jackson often try to play down how explicit these books are, pointing out that owning them is legal. While that is true, the evidence shows these publications were far from ordinary reading material. They were created for a very specific audience – people with a sexual interest in children – and cannot be considered part of mainstream household literature.
Reviews of the books are noticeably absent from reputable literary outlets. Instead, they appear only in niche publications aimed at “boy lovers.” One example is a review in The International Journal of Greek Love, a short‑lived magazine that promoted man‑boy relationships. The journal was run by Walter Breen, who had already been convicted of child molestation, which underlines the disturbing nature of the circles in which these books were promoted.
The Boy: A Photographic Essay is also listed on Boywiki, a website that openly advocates for man‑boy relationships. According to the site, the book was praised in the homophile press when it was first released, showing how it was marketed within sympathetic communities rather than the wider public.
Supporters sometimes argue that the inclusion of Boys Will Be Boys in the Library of Congress in 1966 proves its artistic value. In reality, this reflects the legal environment of the time: before 1970, US law placed very few restrictions on publishing nude images of children or child pornography. That loophole explains how such material could be catalogued then. Today, however, it is virtually impossible to find these books in any reputable library, as they are now recognised for what they are – exploitative and abusive.
How did Michael Jackson obtain these books?
The defence argues that one of the books, Boys Will Be Boys, was given to Michael Jackson by a fan. This claim appears to be supported by an inscription on the inside cover, which reads: “To Michael: From your fan, ‘RHonDA’ ♥ 1983, Chicago” (with “DA” written in bold capitals). Some have speculated that “RHonDA” might actually be a pseudonym for one of the authors, Ronald Drew. The choice of gift is unsettling: of all the things a fan could have sent, they believed Jackson would welcome a book containing images of children, many of them nude.
It is often assumed that Jackson received endless gifts from fans without ever seeing them himself. But this idea is challenged by Joseph Marcus, who managed Neverland for 17 years. In 2005, he testified that every gift sent to Jackson was carefully screened, with staff selecting only what they considered the “best things” to pass on to him.
Q. So the fan mail that’s delivered to Neverland Ranch is what I’m talking about --
A. Yes.
Q. -- where is that ultimately delivered?
A. It’s delivered to the Los Olivos post office and then delivered to the property.
Q. When it gets to the property, where does it go?
A. Sometimes it goes to Los Angeles, and sometimes some of the nicer stuff we might keep at the property.
Q. All right. Now, when you say “nicer stuff” -- before we get to the distinction, what volume of fan mail comes to the Los Olivos ranch?
A. Three boxes probably every other week.
Q. All right. And sometimes you’ll get big packages; is that right?
A. Correct.
Q. Sometimes people will send artwork?
A. Artwork. Books. Clothing. Ties. Coffee mugs. Gifts. Just lots -- lots of gifts.
Q. How about letters?
A. Letters. Lots of letters.
Q. Cards?
A. Cards, yes.
Q. Whose job is it to go through and screen that, if anybody?
A. We don’t really have somebody doing that at this point.
Q. In the past have you had somebody screen it or does it just all go to Mr. Jackson, and say, “Here. Read your mail”?
A. No.
Q. Does it end up sometimes in the administration building?
A. Yes.
Q. All right. And from there, you said something about “the nicer stuff.” So going back to that answer, how do you make the decision as to what ought to go to Mr. Jackson himself to look at?
A. Memorabilia. Just some of the nicer--nicer items that I think that he might be interested in seeing what the fans have sent for him.
In a 1995 interview with Diane Sawyer, Michael Jackson denied knowing about the books or ever having seen them, even though evidence showed they were in his room.
Inside the cover of Boys Will Be Boys there’s an inscription that reads: “Look at the true spirit of happiness and joy on the faces of these boys. This is the spirit of childhood, a life I never had and will always dream of. This is the life I want for my boys. MJ.”
Jackson’s words echo the tone of the book’s own preface, which also speaks about joy, innocence, and the celebration of childhood.
By 2005, the defence admitted that Jackson did own these books. However, they argued the evidence should be excluded, claiming it was irrelevant to the case because the books had been seized back in 1993 and had never been shown to any minors (Page 8167). The point remains: if Jackson truly believed owning the books was harmless, there would have been no need for him to make misleading statements on television.
His legal team clearly recognised how damaging this evidence could be. One of his lawyers, Sanger, put forward the following argument:
MR. SANGER: Well, I think that is. I mean, I can't imagine what else it would be. That's what I'm saying. In other words, there's no evidence that these books, or any of the other books, the actual books that were seized, many of which, or all of which the Court has allowed from the 2003 time period, there's no evidence that they were shown to any of the people in this case. Not shown to minors. They weren't used for any purpose. They're just shown -- they're -- I'm sorry. They were offered to show that Mr. Jackson had these materials in his house. I think the Court's now heard all the testimony. I think it's very minimal weight even for the 2003 materials.
And so my concern is that while Memro might talk about allowing this kind of evidence to show that the -- that the individual had this evidence in his possession at the time of the offense, this isn't the time of the offense. This is ten years before. And it's locked in a file cabinet. So not only do you not have it being used for any untoward purpose, but it's simply possessed and it's possessed in a secure fashion, and it's possessed ten years before any events in this case.
The court rejected his arguments and allowed the evidence to be admitted (p. 8168).
THE COURT: But the Memro case isn't about showing the material to anybody. It's about having the material and allowing it to be introduced as evidence that the defendant may have some proclivity to the type of sexually explicit material that we're dealing with. So it's not a question -- you know, one of the issues in this case presently is about whether he showed children that material. But another reason the material's admissible is that it relates to his state of mind. And that's why they're offering it, according to their proffer.
At the 2005 trial
On 18 January 2005, the prosecution tried to bring forward investigative materials from 1993 as evidence. The defence objected to this. They also wanted librarian Mary Minow to review Michael Jackson’s book collection and testify about its artistic value. The prosecution argued that if Minow was allowed to testify, then former FBI Special Agent Ken Lanning—an expert in profiling paedophiles—should also be permitted to give evidence. In the end, both sides agreed to withdraw their witnesses.
Later, on 29 April, the judge ruled that evidence from two books linked to the Memro case could be admitted. This case deals with exceptions to the usual rules on character evidence, allowing such material to be used to show a defendant’s intent and motive.
THE COURT: No, just a moment. I'm sorry, I want to interrupt you. I'm not sure that I made that finding on the record or at sidebar on Exhibits 841 or 842, both of them, but I previously had reviewed the books and made a finding, preliminary finding, that there were photographs within each book that could be determined to be sexually explicit photographs by a trier of fact, and then I made a finding on -- under 352, which I know is on the record. Now you may proceed with this witness. MR. ZONEN: Thank you, Your Honor.
During the trial, the jurors saw sections of the books projected onto a screen, but they weren’t allowed to touch them until it was time for deliberation. In cross-examination, Zonen asked Wade to describe some of the images and pressed him on whether it was acceptable for an unrelated adult to share a bed with a child while owning such material. Wade admitted the images made him uneasy, yet he backed the defence and maintained that the books were not pornographic.
Q. Is it true, Mr. Robson, that all of the pictures in that book are of boys about the same age?
A. Yes.
Q. 10, 11, 12 years old?
A. Yes.
Q. And that many of the photographs, if not most of the photographs, depicted in that book are of boys nude; is that correct?
A. Yes.
Q. And in fact, in most of those pictures, the genitalia is prominently displayed; is that right?
A. Yes.
Q. Would you be concerned with a person who possesses a book like that?
A. No.
Q. Would you be concerned about having your 12-year-old child in bed with a person who possesses a book like that?
A. No.
Q. You would have no such concern?
A. No. It’s -- to me, it doesn’t -- it’s not a pornographic book. It’s sort of, you know -- I don’t know, just a book.
In a later interview, Chief Juror Paul Rodriguez revealed that he chose not to look through the books during deliberations, saying, “I didn’t want to look at them; I didn’t want it to influence my decision.”
The books were classed as evidence 1108, meaning they could suggest a tendency to commit a crime but were not directly tied to the case, as they had been seized a decade before Gavin’s abuse allegations. The judge made it clear that the jury could take this evidence into account, but they were not allowed to base their verdict solely on it.
In another interview, juror Melissa Herard was asked by reporter Dan Abrahms how she felt about the idea of a man who not only shares a bed with children but also owns these books alongside pornography.
ABRAMS: You know, I was struck—and let me stay with you, Melissa - I was struck by something that Ron Zonen said in his closing argument.
He asked the question, are you comfortable with a middle-aged man who possesses this book—that was a book of pictures of naked young boys—getting into bed with a 13-year-old boy?
And he was also talking about in the context of Michael Jackson having stacks of pornography in his bedroom, as well. Are you comfortable with that? He asked that question.
HERARD: Well, what Michael Jackson does in his own home with himself, that‘s his business. I wouldn‘t, you know, be comfortable with him showing my children or any child, but that had to be—you know, that wasn‘t part of, you know, the counts against him. So, yes, that would make me uncomfortable, if that was shown to my children.
How relevant are the books?
The answer: they are very relevant.
It’s important to understand that owning this kind of material cannot be separated from the wider context of who holds it. The police seized these books during their 1993 investigation because it was their duty to collect anything that might serve as evidence.
The troubling point isn’t simply that Jackson had these books, but that he regularly spent time with children and even shared his bed with them—children of the same age as those shown in sexualised ways in the books.
As explained:
Both the child pornography and erotica should be seized as evidence when found in such cases. Child pornographers are sometimes child molesters. The photograph of even fully dressed children could be evidence of an offender’s sexual motivation or involvement with children.
Because child erotica usually is not illegal to possess, the legal basis for its seizure must be carefully considered. If there is doubt about the legality of the seizure, its presence should be noted and, if possible, visually documented/recorded.
MJ’s lawyers and supporters dismiss this fact, insisting the books were “purely artistic” and simply “innocent illustrations”. Yet the publishers never intended them to be artistic. Their real aim, back in the 1960s, was to put out material that was deliberately suggestive, but done in a way that stayed within the law.
With permission, the following article was translated and enhanced from The Truth about Michael Jackson.
