WITH limitless sweets, toys galore and even a zoo, Neverland Ranch was a dream playground for Michael Jackson to relive the childhood he missed out on.
But for the children he allegedly abused over multiple years, it became a house of horrors with every room kitted out for them to become his real-life playthings.
Last night, explosive Channel 4 documentary Leaving Neverland 2: Surviving Michael Jackson shed more light on the chilling claims about attacks at the 2,700-acre property.
The so-called 'King of Pop', who died from a drug overdose in June 2009, forever denied all allegations against him,
But now another witness has spoken out.
Alongside alleged abuse survivors Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who have filed lawsuits against Jackson's estate, is former maid Adrian McManus.
She claims there are missing hard drives and files that could validate the accounts of the accusers, who claim to have been abused from the ages of seven to 14, and 10 to 14, respectively.
The former employee, who alleged she was threatened with violence if she spoke out about what she saw, also gave insight into Jackson's warning alarms that allegedly enabled his abuse.
It adds to what appears to be a damning dossier of claims about the chilling goings-on at Neverland Ranch, which is located on the tip of California's Los Padres National Forest.
Accusers' accounts, police reports and statements from attorneys build a worrying picture of the property that it's claimed was fitted with secret corridors, hidden bedrooms and stashes of inappropriate pictures.
Much of the alleged abuse took place in Jackson's master suite, which had been rigged to alert the singer of anyone approaching – including parents, who let the children sleep in the same room as the singer.
"There were bells, so you would have a moment of hearing them chirp, and at least it alarmed him to when people were coming," James says.
The survivor claimed abuse "would happen every day" from 1988 until 1992 in various hidden rooms, as well as in Jackson's private indoor swimming pool.
Those who visited the property were enamoured by the unusual fixtures, fittings and features inside the home – including the singer's bedroom.
It's claimed an electric toy train set lined the perimeter and there was a life-sized cardboard cut-out of Jackson's idol Peter Pan, which chillingly became entwined with the alleged abuse.
Wade, who says he was abused between 1990 and 1997, recalled one horrific attack when he was just seven years old: "He had me bend over on my knees…I was kind of on display.
"Right in front of me there was this Peter Pan cutout."
So there were bells and you could have a moment of hearing them trip so at least you knew if people were coming for him.
James Safechuck
In another chilling account, James recalled waking up one night to find Jackson standing over him.
He said: "Michael said that he had performed a sex act on me while I was asleep. I was like, 'Oh, ok.'"
'Paedo lair'
The main bedroom had a walk-in wardrobe fitted with a triple-lock, which was revealed to lead to a secret room where teenage cancer victim Gavin Arvizo was allegedly molested.
The hidden chamber was reached via a staircase, which was lined with 'creepy dolls', and inside, Peter Pan pillowcases and more stuffed toys were found during a 2003 raid.
They also discovered naked photos of men and women, which were allegedly used to "desensitise" children when Jackson allegedly attacked them.
Senior Assistant District Attorney Ron Zonen previously told Radar Online: "A lot of this stuff was used to desensitise the children.
"Michael admitted taking one child after another into bed with him for long periods of time."
In a report from the 2003 police raid, ahead of a molestation trial where Jackson was acquitted, an investigator noted that the "vast majority" of the pictures were of "teenagers and/or young adults".
They added: "Some of the pictures depicted individuals wearing no clothing, or in a partial state of undress."
Rigged rooms
Jackson's accusers say there were multiple ploys to avoid discovery.
They included various alarms down the corridor leading to the master bedroom and a motion sensor hidden in a grandfather clock.
James claims Jackson briefed him on what to do if they were disturbed.
He said: "We would get a blanket and we would lie it on the floor in the closet, so we could close the door.
"So there were bells and you could have a moment of hearing them trip so at least you knew if people were coming for him."
Former maid Adrian claims rooms were bugged too and spotted multiple audio transmitters fitted into wall plug sockets, which were maintained by security.
To test out her theory, she complained loudly to another maid about an issue in Jackson's bedroom only for a guard to race and ask what was wrong moments later.
Adrian says she "went through hell" while working for the singer and claimed there was an "underlying threat of violence or potential problems".
This included once threatening if she "ever did or said anything that he didn't like" that he would tell his head of security, who would "take care of me".
"That itself was a threat," she said. "I couldn't even believe that he had said that."
Adrian was forced to sign a confidentiality agreement when she began employment, which prevented workers from "speaking about Michael [or] anything you saw".
This included him "playing and hanging out" with children, unsupervised, for hours at a time and details about the dozens of kids and their families who visited the ranch.
On her first day she was told: "You don't question Mr Jackson when his guests are here. Those are his guests, not yours. You just go do your job."
Horrid hideouts
The alleged attacks weren't only confined to the bedroom or Jackson's closet but to a variety of secret spots throughout the house.
They included a movie theatre with two private rooms, which had been fitted with one-way glass, meaning those in the main area couldn't see what happened behind closed doors.
James said he was abused in those rooms.
Joy Robson, the mum of accuser Wade, described the room as "like a child's dream come true" with limitless sweets on offer in a "big candy store" that you "could help yourself to".
Sleepovers happened frequently according to Adrian, who claimed there were hidden chambers connected to his bedroom, cinema room, zoo, waterfall and arcade games room.
'I went through hell,' says King of Pop's ex-employee
FORMER maid Adrian McManus has defended Michael Jackson's accusers and warns denier that they did not know who he really was.
She told the doc: "They get mad when you come out and you say things that happened to you. 'Oh no, you're a liar,' they say.
"It didn't happen to them so they can never understand it. They don't know Michael.
"How do you stick up for somebody when you never met him.
"And Michael never liked fans. He would never hire a person that was a fan to work at Neverland.
"People need to rethink their thoughts because I went through hell and I'm going to come out and I'm going to say what it was."
One of Jackson's favourite spots was a bedroom inside the Neverland train station, accusers claim.
James also recalled: "He had an Indian fort with like teepees so we would lay down sleeping and have snacks and have sexual relations there.
"There was also a game room and then upstairs in the arcade there was a bed and we would go up there and have sex there."
The game room was "filled with every toy you could imagine" according to visitors, including life-size Lego models, Darth Vader, games consoles and "all sorts of awesome toys".
James claims Jackson used the toy room deliberately to blur the lines between sexual abuse and fun time together when they played games.
He said: "There's toys everywhere, things to do. So they just kind of mix together."
There was also a Disney-themed castle, which had a hidden bedroom upstairs where attacks took place.
Recalling one incident when James was 10, he said: "You could see if somebody was coming. It had just a small bed. Up there, we would have sex."
James also claims attacks took place in the outdoor pool and jacuzzi, with Jackson allegedly performing a sex act on the child.
It occurred while they were having a competition to see who could hold their breath underwater the longest.
A former security guard told the court during Jackson's 2005 molestation trial that he saw the singer performing a sex act on first public accuser Jordan Chandler there too. Jackson was acquitted of all charges.
Eerie murals
Between 2007 and 2008, four photographers – known as urban explorers – broke into Jackson's abandoned ranch multiple times to document what was inside.
They recalled the "strangest thing" was murals seen throughout the property that depicted a "little boy in pyjamas sitting on the moon", similar to the DreamWorks logo.
"That thing was painted on the ground, like, 60ft wide," they told Vice. "It was on the signs, on the bumper cars, it was on the coach station where they parked the coach, one on the ground."
They dubbed it Jackson's "creepy logo" and claimed at least one of the murals featured a boy wearing pyjamas with "the back open".
During their multiple visits, they spotted "weird mirrors" and scores of portraits of the singer, including an eight-foot-tall oil painting and another of him "leading a procession of children".
Bubbles was hit when he did something wrong. He said once he had been hit across the room. I said, 'Michael did you think that was alright?' He said, 'No, not really'
Jane Goodall
Other surprising discoveries included "Pepsi bottles" and other fizzy drink memorabilia, stacks of unopened fan mail and one defaced picture.
They said: "One piece that really grabbed me was the prosecuting attorney of his molestation case with devil's horns drawn on. That was just laying on a tabletop—maybe a Pac-Man table?" they recalled.
'Kids menu'
Inside the kitchen, the urban explorers recalled seeing a menu on a chalkboard titled 'Children of the World'.
That was the name of a poem Jackson penned about himself and kids "making sandcastles and floating our boats while people fight and defend their point of view".
They noted food items on the menu were "geared toward children" – including kids' favourites peanut butter and jelly (jam) sandwiches and macaroni and cheese.
Former employee Adrian recalled Jackson being particularly protective in that room, alleged he would "get angry" if employees started "mixing with his little boy friends or any of the guests."
Zoo of 'horrors'
Jackson also kept a zoo on his property that had "well over 100" animals at any given moment including lions, tigers, bears and reptiles – many were allegedly abused.
The singer was famed for keeping 'Bubbles', a chimpanzee, and it's been claimed the creature was also abused.
Primate conservationist Jane Goodall said she "reprimanded him" about how he treated his 'pet' in the ITV documentary Searching For Michael Jackson's Zoo.
She recalled: "Bubbles was hit when he did something wrong. He said once he had been hit across the room. I said, 'Michael did you think that was alright?' He said, 'No, not really'."
It was also claimed two giraffes nearly burned to death when a fire broke out in a barn, another broke its neck when a door slammed shut on it, and elephants were whipped.
Jackson's estate has vehemently denied all allegations of sexual abuse made against the star.
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