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Authorities with warrant descend on ranch
in force
News conference scheduled today at showgrounds
By DAWN HOBBS
NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
More than 60 Santa Barbara County law enforcement officers raided
Michael Jackson's Neverland Valley Ranch early Tuesday morning,
searching into the evening under klieg lights for evidence in a
criminal investigation targeting the pop star.
Authorities wouldn't comment on the focus of the investigation.
But a county source confirmed to the News-Press that it stems from
an allegation of child molestation.
The convoy of detectives and forensic analysts from the Santa Barbara
County Sheriff's Department and district attorney investigators
swarmed the Santa Ynez Valley estate about 8:30 a.m. to serve a
search warrant in the probe. Mr. Jackson was not at the ranch when
the raid occurred — the same day an album of his greatest
hits was released — and no arrests were made.
"He's been in Las Vegas with his family for the last two and
a half weeks shooting a video from his new album, 'One More Chance,'
" said Stuart Backerman, Mr. Jackson's publicist. "The
lawyers are dealing with it, and I haven't heard back from them
yet as to what is at the bottom of all of this."
Law enforcement authorities have scheduled a news conference today
at Earl Warren Showgrounds to accommodate the throng of media that
swooped into Santa Barbara County on Tuesday to cover the story.
Word of the raid spread quickly, drawing more than 50 news vans
and satellite trucks that lined rural Figueroa Mountain Road. Throughout
the day, news helicopters hovered over the lavish estate, which
includes an amusement park and zoo.
Law enforcement officials escorted a locksmith van into the ranch
about 11:20 a.m. Later in the afternoon two uniformed maids left
the ranch, declining to talk with media hovering at the gate.
In response to hundreds of media calls, Mr. Backerman issued a
statement: "We cannot comment on law enforcement's investigation
because we do not yet know what it is about. We can comment on the
malignant horde of media hounds claiming to speak for Michael on
this and many other issues. 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.
"Michael himself said, '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 a dreadful allegation just as another
project, an album, a video, is being released.'
"Michael will, as always, cooperate fully with authorities
in any investigation even as it is conducted, yet again, while he
is not home."
 District
Attorney Tom Sneddon, who directed the raid on the scene, did not
return News-Press calls. In order to obtain a search warrant, the
detectives had to convince a judge that they had probable cause
to go onto private property to look for evidence relating to a crime.
Mr. Sneddon investigated the pop star a decade ago, but the case
of alleged child molestation ended with no charges filed. The case
collapsed after a young accuser reportedly took a multimillion-dollar
settlement from the singer rather than agree to testify against
him in a criminal case.
Mr. Jackson maintained his innocence, but his highly successful
career began to slip after the allegations became public.
Then the specter of child abuse and molestation surfaced again
a year ago. On Nov. 19, 2002, the singer was seen dangling his infant
son over the balcony of a Berlin hotel, causing a worldwide furor.
Mr. Jackson called the incident a "terrible mistake."
Then he admitted in a British documentary that aired Feb. 3, 2003,
that he sleeps with children unrelated to him in his bed.
While being interviewed by the BBC's Martin Bashir, Mr. Jackson
stated: "I have slept in a bed with many children... It's not
sexual, we're going to sleep. I tuck them in... It's very charming,
it's sweet."
One boy interviewed for the documentary said: "He let me
stay in the bedroom. And I was like, ÔMichael you can sleep
in the bed...' and then he said, 'look if you love me you'll sleep
in the bed.' "
Los Angeles attorney Gloria Allred urged Santa Barbara County Department
of Child Welfare Services and Mr. Sneddon to investigate the incidents.
Ms. Allred indicated Tuesday she received no response from Child
Welfare Services but didn't necessarily expect a reply because of
the confidentiality of any investigation involving a minor.
She did, however, receive a response from Mr. Sneddon about the
baby-dangling incident. In a letter dated Dec. 5, 2002, he stated
that his office could not investigate an incident that occurred
outside the county, state and country: "The clear and simple
and well-legally documented answer is 'No!' "
Ms. Allred later called on Mr. Sneddon to interview "each
and every child that has been at Neverland ranch, in Michael Jackson's
bed or anywhere on the grounds, without the presence of their parents."
She said she got no reply.
On Tuesday, she said she did not know whether her inquiries had
anything to do with the investigation.
"If this current investigation is in response to those incidents,
it is long overdue," Ms. Allred said. "I've been long
concerned about Mr. Jackson and whether or not he understands the
appropriate boundaries between children and adults. I've been particularly
concerned about his own admission that it's fine for unrelated male
children to be sleeping in bed with an adult male."
Staff Writer Hildy Medina contributed to this report. Staff
Writer Dawn Hobbs can be reached by e-mail at dhobbs@newspress.com.
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