OTTAWA - A former Ottawa resident has been asked to be a character witness in the child molestation case against pop icon Michael Jackson.

As a close friend of the King of Pop, film director Bryan Michael Stoller said he is one of the few people who know Jackson who will speak positively on his behalf.

"He trusts me. I am one of the few people he trusts and I think that is why he has let me into his personal life, his family life," Stoller said during a phone interview from Los Angeles.

It came as no surprise to Stoller when he was contacted by Jackson's attorney requesting he testify in Jackson's defence in March.

"I was expecting it and when he asked me I said absolutely," said Stoller. "I am 1,000% behind Michael. I have nothing to hide. They can give me a lie detector test. I have seen absolutely nothing that would suggest that he is guilty."

Stoller said Jackson is a good father to his children and is a very caring individual who "loves people emotionally, not physically."

"It's taking quite a toll on his family. I know his parents are very upset," said Stoller. "I know it is taking some kind of toll on Michael, but Michael has been dealing with it quite well for anybody having to go through this. Michael is a very positive person and when negativity is thrown at him he tries to keep positive."

However, Stoller said Jackson's trust in people, including children, has lessened since this happened.

"I know he is very disillusioned with humanity at the moment."

What started out as a business relationship back in 1984 expanded into a friendship between Stoller and Jackson. The pair has collaborated on a number of projects together.

Meanwhile, in Santa Maria, Calif., the judge in the case against Jackson said yesterday he had a sufficient pool of about 250 prospective jurors willing to sit through the projected six-month trial, moving jury selection along more quickly than expected.

-- With files from AP