The epistemology of Michael Jackson fans

[Consept]

So recently I've got into a couple of debates about whether Michael Jackson abused kids or not. My position is that although I was a fan of his especially when i was a kid and still like his music, there is enough smoke to say that its very possible he abused children. I'm probably at 60-70%. My issue is that many people including those I debated would say they're 100% sure he didn't do anything. I'll lay out why I think its possible and why they're so sure below, but what scares me is how people can be so sure about someone they never met but feel love and admiration for to the point where they would dismiss all evidence against this person. To be clear its very possible he didn't do anything at all but the point the only people that know for sure are him, the kids and whoever saw them or whoever he told. 

This to me is a microcosm of how damaging behaviour can be accepted in society and can lead to generations of abuse, whether its on a small familial scale or a wide ranging dictator, cult leader scale. For me personally this is really to get everything out of my head lol as sometimes its good to lay things out to see gaps in your own thinking. 

I'm not going to go into crazy detail about all the allegations and the cases but I'm going to give what i would consider the strongest points of evidence for him abusing kids and then counter arguments i've heard to the claims, i will steelman where possible

1. The fact that he admitted to sleeping in bed with many children including the ones that accused him of abuse. It was reported in the first accusation by Jordan Chandler that he would sleep in the same bed with him for up to 30 days in a row without the parents being present. This was a pattern that all his accusers have highlighted. Meaning there was access but not a complete smoking gun, very unusual behaviour though. Counter - He himself said that it was just a kind and loving thing to do and theres nothing wrong with it. His supporters say most of the time the kids slept in his bed and he slept on the floor, this was something he did with family members, adults, girls and boys and was an innocent thing. 
2. Jordan Chandler in his testimony to law enforcement, described michael jacksons genitals, including specific markings and discoloration. This was matched to pictures that the police took of him when they raided his property and the description was accurate. Jackson later paid off Chandler for $23 million to drop the case and sign an nda. The police still wanted to prosecute but the case collapsed because chandler refused to be a witness. Counter - Essentially they call Chandler a liar who was put up to it by his dad he was trying to get money and potentially a screen writing career out of Jackson. There doesnt seem to be a direct argument against how he knew the description but there some doubt about him not knowing if Jackson was circumcised or not. 
3. In the case that went to trial, the boy Gavin, said to law enforcement that there was a suitcase in Jacksons room that contained porn, including a couple books with young boys in the nude. When police raided his room they found the suitcase that had porn in it and it had 3 books that featured numerous images of young boys partially or fully nude, these books although legal, were apparently produced by 2 convicted pedophiles and have been recommended on NAMBLA which is a boy love group. Counter - Theres nothing wrong with owning porn and the books of the young boys are legal to own. There is an inscription in one by Jackson himself which talks about the joys of being a young child, his defence used this inscription in the trial to make the claim that there was nothing sexual about him looking at these books. Gavin could have found them in Jacksons room without necessarily been shown them by Jackson, that would explain how he knew where they were and the contents, (counter counter, they were reported to have been locked away). 
4. Jackson never really showed much sexual interest to women or even men. Lisa Marie his wife for 18 months, claimed that he was a virgin when they were together and he lost his virginity at 35 with her. There are several girls that claimed they had a relationship with him but none confirmed any sexual activity. Of course this doesnt automatically mean you like kids but it adds context. Counter - He was shy and childlike and not really interested in sex
5. He has been accused multiple times by young boys and their families and has paid off a few of them, I believe there around 10 direct accusations. Counter - All of them are trying to get money or fame from Jackson and have taken advantage of his nature. Parents of the children are liars and ruthless. 

Now keep in mind, in theory hes there isnt enough to prosecute him and there isnt a smoking gun, however a lot of the behaviour and things that have happened are highly suspicious. My point, in the debates is that, if you heard of this behaviour from anyone else, you'd more than likely think something is going on, but in this situation you claim near 100% certainty that nothing is going on. Also 2 things can be true, the parents can be trying to get mone but he could also have abused the kids. The overall point i hear from supporters is that he didnt really have a childhood so he himself is child like which is why his behaviour seems odd. A more extreme take is that he pissed off jewish people so they have slaughtered him in the press and defamed his name. 

I sincerely hope he didnt do anything but it scares me how willing people are to just believe that he didnt despite all the smoke. I think cases like this are really about sitting in uncertainty to a degree unless undeniable evidence appears. I think for believers its hard and there is a tendency in our mind, to search for certainty. Whats scary though is that by dismissing all the potential victims in cases like this, you are essentially letting abuse happen. You can see how this plays out in families and even in politics as we're seeing with Trump in real time. 

Curious to get peoples thoughts, i know this is a bit of a controversial subject