Congressman defends Jackson comments

US congressman Pete King has defended his recent comments regarding media coverage of the death of Michael Jackson.

The Republican had previously described Jackson as a "pervert" and a "child molester" and opposed calls for a motion to honour the singer in the House of Representatives.

King told Fox News's The O'Reilly Factor: "The reason I was harsh, if you want to call it that, is I had to cut through this ten-day cacophony of glorification, this onslaught where he was being made out to be a saint or a hero.

"This man was a child molester. By his own admission he slept with young boys. You walk to a neighbourhood and say, 'If a grown man sleeps with young boys in his bed, is he a pervert?', 99 out of 100 people would say yes."

When it was noted that Jackson was not convicted of abusing children, King added: "I would say an adult male who sleeps with young boys is a child molester. If nothing else he's molesting and abusing their psyche.

"How are those children possibly going to end up normal after spending nights in bed with Michael Jackson?"