Michael Jackson - Jackson Witness Arrested On Underage Sex Charge

MICHAEL JACKSON's defence team has been dealt a blow in the pop superstar's child molestation case - one of their potential witnesses has been arrested on charges he had sex with a minor.

AHMAD ELATAB (corr), 18, is accused of seducing a 14-year-old schoolgirl in the basement of her home, while her parents slept upstairs.

The sexual encounter was exposed when a teacher intercepted a graphic note about the girl's night of passion, and alerted the authorities.

The underage girl has since told authorities that some parts of the encounter, which took place earlier this month (APR05) after the teenagers watched pornographic films, were not consensual.

She also maintains that Elatab impressed her with stories of time he had spent with Jackson at his Neverland Ranch home, insisting he had seen the pop star seducing a girl.

Elatab was arrested on Tuesday (21APR05) and is currently being held at the Passaic County Jail in Paterson, New Jersey.

He faces charges of sexual assault, criminal sexual contact and impairing the morals of a minor.

Elatab claims the sex was consensual and he has denied telling the girl he saw Jackson seduce a girl, insisting he merely referred to his friend as being "smooth", adding he knew how to talk to women.

Elatab is on the list of potential defence witnesses for Jackson's child molestation trial in Santa Maria, California.

The THRILLER star denies all charges.