Pop star Michael Jackson is again at the centre of a police investigation. About 20 officers searched his California ranch on Tuesday as part of an ongoing but undisclosed criminal investigation. Jackson was not home.
Cable channel Court TV said the investigation stems from allegations of sexual abuse brought by a 12-year-old boy against the 45-year-old Jackson.
Up to 70 investigators from the Santa Barbara County sheriff's and district attorney's offices entered Jackson's sprawling Neverland Ranch outside of Santa Barbara on Tuesday morning. No immediate arrests were made.
Court TV reporter Diane Dimond, who is on the scene, says a source told her that police not only had a search warrant, but an arrest warrant. Dimond told CNN's Larry King that had Jackson been at the ranch, the warrant would have been executed.
Jackson's spokesman, Stuart Backerman, said the singer was not at his ranch but was with his three young children in Las Vegas filming a music video.
"We cannot comment on law enforcement's investigation because we do not yet know what it is about. Michael will, as always, cooperate fully with authorities in any investigation," the Backerman statement said.
Jackson denounced media coverage of the search in a statement released by Backerman to The Associated Press.
"I've seen lawyers who don't represent me and spokespeople who do not know me speaking for me. These characters always seem to surface with dreadful allegations just as another project, an album, a video is being released," the Jackson statement said.
The search came on the same day Epic Records released Number Ones, a greatest hits collection featuring Jackson's new single, One More Chance.
Nine years ago, a 14-year-old reached an out-of-court agreement to settle a lawsuit accusing the singer of molesting him in 1992. No criminal charges were ever brought and Jackson has maintained his innocence.
Police dropped an investigation into the case after the settlement was reached and the boy made it clear that he would not participate in any criminal prosecution of the pop star.
In February, Jackson revealed in a British television documentary that he shared his Neverland bedroom with young boys and made his children wear masks in public.
"Why can't you share your bed? It's the most loving thing to share your bed with somebody," Jackson said.
The frank revelations sparked calls for an investigation by California child welfare authorities at the Neverland ranch, where Jackson has built theme-park style rides, a zoo and a mini railroad track which he throws open to local children.
In June, Jackson settled a $12 million US breach of contract lawsuit by his former top adviser, avoiding a trial that threatened to spill details of his personal life into open court.
Jackson is also connected to Hollywood private eye Anthony Pellicano, who began serving federal prison time Monday for possessing illegal explosives.
Pellicano worked for Jackson, through his legal team, during the 1993-94 police investigation into child abuse accusations.
Pellicano is under investigation on suspicion that he secretly and illegally wiretapped the conversations of celebrities and their lawyers.
Dimond told the New York Post that she was contacted by the FBI last week. She said agents informed her that her phone was monitored by Pellicano back in 1994, while she was working as a reporter for Hard Copy and covering accusations by a young boy that he was molested by Jackson.
The New York Times reported last weekend that the Pellicano investigation is widening. Managers, actors, businessmen and lawyers are being questioned, and in some cases subpoenaed, by the federal government.
On Nov. 26, CBS is scheduled to air a Jackson special consisting mainly of old concert footage.
Police swarmed over pop superstar Michael Jackson's opulent Neverland Ranch on Tuesday as part of an unspecified criminal investigation, police said. Sheriff's deputies and officials from the District Attorney's office went to the sprawling ranch at 11:30 AM (Detroit time) to "serve a search warrant as part of an ongoing criminal investigation."
The search was still going on two hours later and police are not speaking about what they are searching for. But Sara's Celebrity Dirt sources are saying this search stems from allegations of sexual abuse brought by a 12-year-old boy.
The allegations come nine years after a 14-year-old reached an out-of-court agreement to settle a lawsuit accusing the singer of molesting him in 1992. No criminal charges were ever brought in that case.
In February, Wacko Jacko revealed in a British television documentary that he shared his Neverland bedroom with young boys.
When I saw this on the news last night, I was just completely shocked.
Not shocked thinking that he might have done this... after the other alligations, and him paying that family off, millions of dollars... just shocked in general.
It will be interesting to see what happens now... and the news said that he's almost bankrupt?!!!!
How in the WORLD do you end up almost bankrupt with that kind of money?!! WOW
If Michael really did these things, I hope that the truth is brought to light and he goes to prison. IF he did it. Otherwise, this is just really sad. I saw that tv special that he did awhile back, where he was talking about having little kids sleeping over, IN HIS BED! And that it was natural? I didn't, personally, find that that was a wise decision, and had it been my child, I would never have allowed that... I don't care WHO you are.
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
Jacko is definately wacko, but that doesn't give police the right to harrass him..since when do they search a house for a molestation charge?... It seems like they think they can do whatever they want to him now that he's linked to these charges. But if he did do what they think he did then they should search him I guess...I just don't see what good it would do..book him on porno charges if they find child porn? I don't know if that's what they're trying to do. Or he's just so above the law they have to 'catch' him to arrest him? But it is unusual to have children in your bed that aren't your own. Where are the parents of these children? Waiting to spring a law suit? But I'm not really surprised that he's bankrupt. With all the crap he buys and pays WAY too much for, and all the people he has begging him for money, he probably thinks his wallet is never never land..and he'll never see the end of it. Never never land isn't so true for your bank account jacko...
Since when do they search a house? Well, no one knows WHAT evidence was presented to the judge to justify a search warrant. But, they couldn't just throw some stupid, made up story to get this done. Nothing has been released, but those law enforcement agencies have been working on this for months. This isn't a last minute decision. This is something that they have been working very hard at trying to do.
I do agree... where in the hell are these parents who have been allowing their children to SLEEP IN BED WITH A GROWN MAN?!??? I don't care that he's Michael Jackson. That is sick... and if the parent's were doing this in hopes of filing a law suit to get money... they are sick too. No person, in their right mind, is going to allow thier child to sleep in a bed, with a grown man, KNOWING that there have been previous accusations against him for sexual misconduct with little children. It doesn't matter that the case never went to court. Michael paid them off, and they had to sign papers to NEVER talk about what they received, etc... I'm sorry... but to me, that's guilty paying off to be innocent.
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
Ok this might clear it up a bit but it could also be media hype:
I just saw a report that indicated that police found a secret room adjecent to MJ's bedroom closet with photos of shirtless children, games and an autographed photo of Macauley Culkin reading; "don't leave me alone in the house".
Let's just say for the sake of argument that it really hasn't been released what was found in the alleged room, but if the victim had mentioned to police the room exitsted and that the alleged assault took place there, it would have given them just cause to search his residence.
Holy War....You're basically killing each other to see who's got the better imaginary friend. - Richard Jeni
I don't get it...I'm just waiting to hear (and see) the accuser. I think its kinda like the state of CA is pissed off at Jacko because he is in effect above the law from the last suit. Since they changed the law of ten years ago- the accuser is now compelled to testify despite a retraction of an allegation. I think they did is specifically to nail jacko...as before he was able to escape any punishment by paying some 20-25 million to the accuser and it didn't go to trial as they dropped it. Jacko is wacko but so is the law.
You're right... he's wacko. As for the law... we are just going to have to wait and see what happens when he has to appear in court. I don't know if he's guilty or not. I don't like the charges, and if he's guilty, I hope that he pays severely. If he didn't do it, I hope that he will be exonerated with no doubts in people's minds. I just think he's a nut... no matter what!! Just strange!
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
Honestly I feel really bad for the alleged victim. Imagine he told his therapist in confindence. He probably had no idea the therapist would turn around and contact police.
Holy War....You're basically killing each other to see who's got the better imaginary friend. - Richard Jeni
I just hate the hype. Its like freakin' Bonfire of the Vanities. At this point I don't think we're ever going to know if he did it or didn't...everyone has something to gain by saying he did it, on both sides.
Originally posted by chelktty Honestly I feel really bad for the alleged victim. Imagine he told his therapist in confindence. He probably had no idea the therapist would turn around and contact police.
Yes, I agree with this. From all reports I have heard, the child involved just mentioned it to the therapist and the therapist is bound by law to tell police. That's why it doesn't appear to be motivated by money at all.
I feel so sorry for this kid. Not only the molestation, but the media attention this trial is going to bring on them and their family. The last kid had to go into a witness relocation type program to get away from the attention.
Victims of this kind of abuse need time and couselling to heal, not to be paraded in front of the world in the Court Case of the Century.
Michael Jackson arrived by private jet at Santa Barbara Airport and was taken into custody by Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department personnel and was booked on the arrest warrant.
Wacko Jacko was booked on charges of violation of section 288 (a) of the California Penal Code... child molestation. Bail amount of $3 million was set on the warrant, and bail was posted. MJ will be arraigned on the charges at Santa Barbara Superior Court at 8:30AM on January 9, 2004.
Trailed by a phalanx of TV cameras, a handcuffed Michael Jackson was booked on suspicion of child molestation after arriving by private jet to face charges that could finish off his already declining career and send him to prison for years.
The self-styled "King of Pop" immediately posted $3 million bail and waved to reporters and flashed a V-sign before leaving the Santa Barbara County jail in a black Suburban escorted by three sheriff's motorcycle officers. "Lies run sprints, but the truth runs marathons," Jackson added in a statement issued by a spokesman.
Authorities released no details of the case beyond a warrant accusing the 45-year-old Jackson of multiple counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, an offense punishable by three to eight years in prison. But news reports have said the child was a 12- or 13-year-old boy who visited Jackson at his Neverland Ranch.
Jackson dominated pop music in the 1980s but was damaged by a similar molestation allegation in 1993. But no charges were ever filed. Jackson maintained his innocence but reportedly paid the boy's family a multimillion-dollar civil settlement, and the child refused to testify in any criminal proceedings. The district attorney has said the youngster in the latest case is cooperating with investigators and has no plans to sue. He also said prosecutors could be helped by a law, passed since the earlier Jackson investigation, that was designed to keep civil suits from interfering with criminal cases.
Wait... did that mugshot above say Race: Black???
Click Here to read the disturbing court documents of MJ's original 1993 child molestation charges. These charges magically disappeared after Jackson gifted the parents of the boy with a $40 million check.
Can you imagine how scared this kid must be? This can not be good for his health. He is a cancer survivor. It is a pity that the media can not leave him alone. Who knows what the stress from all of this will do to his health.
I was watching the news this morning, and they showed some of the interview that Jermaine Jackson did with I think Barbara Walters. He said this, and it's really got me thinking:
"I'm not worried about what they FOUND in Michael's house when they searched it. I'm worried about what was PUT in Michael's house when they searched it. Why did it take SEVENTY people to search his house? There was no control over what went in."
I have to agree... there was NO accountability. That was way too many people. I'm NOT saying that they planted anything. I'm NOT saying that they didn't. I'm saying that he's got a great point about this. And it's going to make a lot of people wonder.
Also, they were talking about the boy that this happened to. They said that he was 12 at the time that he met Michael. He had cancer and was really bad off. He wanted to meet Michael. I have NO idea what happened. But, they said that there were "love letters" written from Michael, to this boy. And that one time the mother and child went over to his place and when they got home, all the letters were gone. THIS is what the police went in looking for. Hmmmmm....
I just have to say, WHY, if Michael did these things that are being claimed... WHY would he write anything down in a letter that could be used against him? Just some "food for thought!"
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
11-19-2003 06:39 AM
