Jackson Targeted in Criminal Probe
by Josh Grossberg
Nov 18, 2003, 2:45 PM PT
Michael Jackson is starring in a new legal thriller that could be a potential blockbuster.
A small army of police investigators descended on the popster's sprawling Neverland Ranch Tuesday morning as part of an unspecified criminal probe, Santa Barbara County officials confirmed.
Dozens of officers accompanied by dog teams showed up at Neverland at 8:30 a.m. to serve a search warrant, said Sgt. Chris Pappas of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department. Sgt. Pappas said the raid was part of an "ongoing criminal investigation," but declined to go into specifics.
Whatever the reason for the search, it was important enough to bring county D.A. Thomas W. Sneddon Jr. down to the property to monitor the search.
Jackson's publicist, Stuart Backerman, said, "we cannot comment on law enforcement's investigation because we do not yet know what it is about."
Backerman did confirm that at the time of the search, the 45-year-old Jackson and his three young children were in Las Vegas, where the "Dangerous" singer was filming a video for an upcoming CBS special.
"Michael will, as always, cooperate fully with authorities in any investigation even as it is conducted, yet again, while he is not home," Backerman added.
While authorities have been mum on details--they're expected to divulge more at a press conference Wednesday morning--there have been reports linking the investigation to a familiar Jackson bugaboo: allegations of child abuse.
Both Court TV and syndicated TV show Extra are saying the probe was launched after a 12-year-old boy told a Los Angeles law firm about inappropriate behavior by Jackson. The allegations were reportedly forwarded to the office of the District Attorney of the County of Santa Barbara, California, for further review, which, in turn, led to today's raid.
"A rogue's gallery of hucksters and self-styled 'inside sources' have dominated the airwaves since reports of a search of Neverland broke, speculating, guessing and fabricating information about an investigation they couldn't possibly know about," Backerman said.
In a statement issued by Backerman, Jackson is quoted as saying, "These characters always seem to surface with a dreadful allegation just as another project, an album, a video, is being released."
Indeed, the search warrant was executed the same day as Jackson's new greatest-hits album, Number Ones, hit music-store shelves.
"The timing of these events are suspicious," reiterated Brian Oxman, a Jackson family attorney. "Michael has 24-hour-a-day attendants who track his movements. We view these allegations as another attempt at gaining money from Michael."
Jackson is also linked to Anthony Pellicano, the private investigator to the stars who began a federal prison sentence Monday for possession of illegal explosives. Pellicano is the subject of a federal investigation over allegations that he illegally wiretapped the phones of celebrities and their lawyers. There was no indication Tuesday that the Neverland search was connected to the Pellicano case.
Tuesday's raid revives memories of the sexual-molestation allegations of 10 years ago that nearly destroyed Jackson's career and have dogged him ever since.
In the original case, a 13-year-old boy said he was enticed into Jackson's bed at Neverland and subjected to unwanted sexual contact. Jackson proclaimed his innocence, and no criminal charges were ever brought in the case. The matter came to a close when the "King of Pop" settled with the boy's family for several million dollars.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer came under new scrutiny in February, when he admitted during an ABC television documentary that he often sleeps in the same bed with underage guests at his ranch.
"When you say bed, you're thinking sexual," the entertainer said at the time. "It's not sexual, we're going to sleep. I tuck them in...it's very charming, it's very sweet."
Jackson also was blasted by child-rights advocates last year, when he briefly dangled his youngest (whom he calls Blanket) off a balcony in Germany.
Jackson has been involved in nearly 1,000 lawsuits over the course of his off-the-wall career and the seemingly endless legal fees have chipped away at his half-billion-dollar fortune. In recent months he has been ordered to pay a concert promoter $5.3 million over scuttled millennium shows; reached a settlement with a former financial adviser who claimed Jackson owed $12 million in unpaid fees; and struck a deal with Sotheby's Inc. for non-payment on two paintings he had purchased.
Word of the criminal investigation comes just days after his father, Joe Jackson, admitted in a BBC interview that he used to whip his son.
The news also arrives as Jackson tries (again) to reenergize his foundering career. Aside from Number Ones (which is likely his final album for Sony's Epic Records), he recently released his long-delayed all-star 9-11 charity anthem, "What More Can I Give?"
And, as of Tuesday afternoon, CBS still planned to go forward with its Jackson sweeps special, scheduled to air November 26. The special features old concert footage along with a performance of "One More Chance," Jackson's collaboration with similarly troubled performer R. Kelly.
Source: http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,1294...tml?newsrellink
by Josh Grossberg
Nov 18, 2003, 2:45 PM PT
Michael Jackson is starring in a new legal thriller that could be a potential blockbuster.
A small army of police investigators descended on the popster's sprawling Neverland Ranch Tuesday morning as part of an unspecified criminal probe, Santa Barbara County officials confirmed.
Dozens of officers accompanied by dog teams showed up at Neverland at 8:30 a.m. to serve a search warrant, said Sgt. Chris Pappas of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department. Sgt. Pappas said the raid was part of an "ongoing criminal investigation," but declined to go into specifics.
Whatever the reason for the search, it was important enough to bring county D.A. Thomas W. Sneddon Jr. down to the property to monitor the search.
Jackson's publicist, Stuart Backerman, said, "we cannot comment on law enforcement's investigation because we do not yet know what it is about."
Backerman did confirm that at the time of the search, the 45-year-old Jackson and his three young children were in Las Vegas, where the "Dangerous" singer was filming a video for an upcoming CBS special.
"Michael will, as always, cooperate fully with authorities in any investigation even as it is conducted, yet again, while he is not home," Backerman added.
While authorities have been mum on details--they're expected to divulge more at a press conference Wednesday morning--there have been reports linking the investigation to a familiar Jackson bugaboo: allegations of child abuse.
Both Court TV and syndicated TV show Extra are saying the probe was launched after a 12-year-old boy told a Los Angeles law firm about inappropriate behavior by Jackson. The allegations were reportedly forwarded to the office of the District Attorney of the County of Santa Barbara, California, for further review, which, in turn, led to today's raid.
"A rogue's gallery of hucksters and self-styled 'inside sources' have dominated the airwaves since reports of a search of Neverland broke, speculating, guessing and fabricating information about an investigation they couldn't possibly know about," Backerman said.
In a statement issued by Backerman, Jackson is quoted as saying, "These characters always seem to surface with a dreadful allegation just as another project, an album, a video, is being released."
Indeed, the search warrant was executed the same day as Jackson's new greatest-hits album, Number Ones, hit music-store shelves.
"The timing of these events are suspicious," reiterated Brian Oxman, a Jackson family attorney. "Michael has 24-hour-a-day attendants who track his movements. We view these allegations as another attempt at gaining money from Michael."
Jackson is also linked to Anthony Pellicano, the private investigator to the stars who began a federal prison sentence Monday for possession of illegal explosives. Pellicano is the subject of a federal investigation over allegations that he illegally wiretapped the phones of celebrities and their lawyers. There was no indication Tuesday that the Neverland search was connected to the Pellicano case.
Tuesday's raid revives memories of the sexual-molestation allegations of 10 years ago that nearly destroyed Jackson's career and have dogged him ever since.
In the original case, a 13-year-old boy said he was enticed into Jackson's bed at Neverland and subjected to unwanted sexual contact. Jackson proclaimed his innocence, and no criminal charges were ever brought in the case. The matter came to a close when the "King of Pop" settled with the boy's family for several million dollars.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer came under new scrutiny in February, when he admitted during an ABC television documentary that he often sleeps in the same bed with underage guests at his ranch.
"When you say bed, you're thinking sexual," the entertainer said at the time. "It's not sexual, we're going to sleep. I tuck them in...it's very charming, it's very sweet."
Jackson also was blasted by child-rights advocates last year, when he briefly dangled his youngest (whom he calls Blanket) off a balcony in Germany.
Jackson has been involved in nearly 1,000 lawsuits over the course of his off-the-wall career and the seemingly endless legal fees have chipped away at his half-billion-dollar fortune. In recent months he has been ordered to pay a concert promoter $5.3 million over scuttled millennium shows; reached a settlement with a former financial adviser who claimed Jackson owed $12 million in unpaid fees; and struck a deal with Sotheby's Inc. for non-payment on two paintings he had purchased.
Word of the criminal investigation comes just days after his father, Joe Jackson, admitted in a BBC interview that he used to whip his son.
The news also arrives as Jackson tries (again) to reenergize his foundering career. Aside from Number Ones (which is likely his final album for Sony's Epic Records), he recently released his long-delayed all-star 9-11 charity anthem, "What More Can I Give?"
And, as of Tuesday afternoon, CBS still planned to go forward with its Jackson sweeps special, scheduled to air November 26. The special features old concert footage along with a performance of "One More Chance," Jackson's collaboration with similarly troubled performer R. Kelly.
Source: http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,1294...tml?newsrellink