Editor: Jackson Accuser's Mom a Shark

Who's bad, indeed.

The mother of the cancer-stricken boy accusing Michael Jackson of child molestation managed to coax a newspaper into soliciting money to help pay the child's medical bills--even though the boy was covered under his father's insurance police, Celebrity Justice reports.

The article appeared in 2000 in the Mid Valley News, a community newspaper located in the town of El Monte just outside Los Angeles. The story detailed the boy's illness, discussed the financial toll his chemotherapy treatment placed on his family and invited readers to make a charitable contribution.

Connie Keenan, the Mid Valley News editor who assigned the story, told the syndicated TV show that the woman--whose identity has been withheld during the Jackson case to protect her son--approached the newspaper to request a story.

"She pleaded her case that her son needed all sorts of medical care and they had no financial means to provide it," Keenan told Celebrity Justice, saying the mother claimed chemo injections alone cost $12,000.

The sympathy card worked; after the paper ran the story on Nov. 29, 2000, readers sent in nearly $1,000 in donations. But that apparently wasn't enough.

"She really wanted another story done on her son because they just didn't make enough money on the first article. And I told her, and I can be a crusty old broad, 'We're not doing another story on your son,' " Keenan told the TV show.

What Keenan didn't know at the time was that boy's cancer treatments were fully covered by an HMO policy obtained by his father through his employer and his teamsters union--a fact not disclosed by his mother.

"My gut-level [feeling]: She's a shark. She was after the money," Keenan told Celebrity Justice. "My readers were used. My staff was used. It's sickening."

About $750 was withdrawn from the account; Celebrity Justice quotes a source close to the family saying there was no misappropriation, however, the source would not elaborate on how the money was spent.

Once news of the molestation charges against Jackson broke, Keenan sent a copy of the story to the Jackson's attorney at the time, Mark Geragos, informing him of possible deception.

Keenan wasn't available for comment on Tuesday. Neither Geragos nor Jackson's current legal team could discuss the Celebrity Justice report due to the sweeping gag order imposed in the case.

The 46-year-old singer has pleaded innocent across the board to 10 felony counts ranging from child molestation and conspiracy to administering an intoxicating agent to a minor.

Speaking of the gag order, Judge Rodney Melville is keeping up his impenetrable wall of secrecy in the case. In rulings and motions released Monday, the judge continued to black out pertinent information that he believed might damage the Gloved One's right to a fair trial.

The latest batch of papers--some of which pertain to last month's surprise search warrant carried out at Jackson's Neverland Ranch--shed little light on the nature of the accusations against the onetime King of Pop.

The sole exception was a document that mentioned a confidential informant had told the Santa Barbara D.A. about a conversation the informant held with Jackson. It's not known what was discussed.

Melville also issued a written ruling partly granting a defense request to suppress evidence seized by police last September at the office of Jackson's personal assistant.

"There is a concern for invasion of the defense camp when the case has been pending for a number of months and records of correspondence with counsel are kept by the client," said the judge.

Jury selection in Jackson's trial is slated to commence Jan. 31.