"When you met Michael, he was just a nice bloke."

Here's an article from an Australian newspaper published on June 27th, 2009;
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MICHAEL Jackson was not a child molester, a Territorian who stayed with the superstar when he was 11 said yesterday.

Pharmacist Billy Ramirez said that the singer was mostly misunderstood.

"He's got a child-like personality. From a young age, he was a performer. He didn't have a childhood.

"Michael was never allowed to grow up.

"When you miss out on something in your life, you want to recapture it later on. But having an adult hanging around with children is not acceptable nowadays."

Mr Ramirez stayed with Jackson for six weeks in 1988.

He said the entertainer was never anything more than friendly and generous.

"All the allegations against him distressed me.

"When you met Michael, he was just a nice bloke."

Mr Ramirez met Jackson while following his Bad tour in Australia. He was shocked and saddened to hear of his friend's death.

"I can't believe it.

"At first I thought it was just a rumour. And then when it was confirmed, I was very sad."

He said Jackson had endured health problems in the past few years and was probably training too hard for his 50 sell-out concerts in London later this year.

Mr Ramirez, 32, who works at a Darwin pharmacy, said that he lost contact with Jackson a few years ago.

"I used to write to him but I haven't for a while."

Jackson invited Mr Ramirez and his two sisters, Tamil and Lana, to his hotel room after reading how they had spent every cent they had to follow his concert circuit around Australia.
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text source: http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2009/06/27/62105_ntnews.html