Post by Hussar on Nov 20, 2003 1:28:12 GMT -5
Can anyone actually say they are surprised by this?
The Santa Barbara police said Wednesday they have issued an arrest warrant for pop star Michael Jackson on multiple charges of child molestation.
The move comes one day after investigators searched Mr. Jackson's Neverland Ranch in California for more than 14 hours. Two other search warrants were also executed in Southern California Tuesday.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff Jim Anderson said Wednesday that bail has been set at $3-million (U.S.) and Mr. Jackson has been ordered to turn over his passport.
“The service of the [search] warrant was part of an ongoing investigation alleging criminal misconduct on the part of Michael Jackson,” Sheriff Anderson said. “The basis for this investigation regarding Mr. Jackson involves allegations of child molestation.”
The warrant is for a violation of Section 288 of the California Penal Code, which prohibits lewd or lascivious acts with a child under age 14. A conviction carries three to eight years in prison.
Jackson spokesman Stuart Backerman said in a statement Thursday that the entertainer is in Las Vegas has already made arrangements with the District Attorney to return to Santa Barbara to immediately “confront and prove these charges unfounded.”
“The outrageous allegations against Michael Jackson are false,” the statement reads. “Michael would never harm a child in any way. These scurrilous and totally unfounded allegations will be proven false in a courtroom. Naturally, the implications are distressing to everyone who hears them, which is precisely the point.”
"We are disturbed by the levity of the environment surrounding the announcement of these very serious charges. When the evidence is presented and the allegations proven to be malicious and wholly unfounded, Michael will be able to put this nightmare behind him.”
District Attorney Thomas Sneddon refused comment on how many charges Mr. Jackson is facing, saying only that there is only one victim in the case and that the victim is cooperating with authorities.
An affidavit outlining details of the case will be sealed for 45 days.
Mr. Sneddon went out of his way to clarify that this case is very different than a 1993 investigation in to accusations that Mr. Jackson molested a 13-year-old boy.
No criminal charges were ever filled.
“There were never any charges brought in that investigation, no warrant issued,” Mr. Sneddon said. “There is a warrant outstanding and I can assure you that in a very short period of time there will be charges filed against Mr. Jackson -– multiple counts -– that's different.”
The teenager filed a lawsuit against the pop star in the 1993 case, but it was settled out of court, reportedly for $15-million (U.S.).
“There is no civil case file and there is no anticipation that there will be a civil case file in this case,” Mr. Sneddon said. “...We have a co-operative victim in this particular proceeding, so I think there are some things that are very different in what is going on today and what happened before.”
A Jackson family lawyer confirmed Tuesday that the raid was sparked by new child-abuse allegations against the 45-year-old father of three.
"The search warrant indicated that there is an accusation by a 12-year-old boy who says that he was molested and the police are seizing information that they feel is relevant to that accusation," Brian Oxman said. "We are certain that police will be looking for photographs and they are going to enjoy themselves by looking at all the history of Michael Jackson, but we are very doubtful that they will find anything," he said.
Mr. Jackson's children are reportedly still in his custody.
The self-proclaimed King of Pop lashed out Tuesday against the "rogues' gallery of hucksters and inside sources" quoted on the case by various media outlets. The search warrant was served on the same day that his new greatest-hits collection was released.
"I've seen lawyers who do not represent me and spokespeople who do not know me speaking for me,” the statement read. “These characters always seem to surface with a dreadful allegation just as another project, an album, a video, is being released."
Mr. Sneddon denied the warrant had anything to do with the timing of the new album, saying the warrants have been ready for weeks and neither he nor the sheriff were “in to that kind of music.”
The rest of the Jackson family was aware of the arrest warrant, said Steve Manning, a family spokesman.
“It's very unfortunate. They feel very bad about it, but they support him wholeheartedly,” Mr. Manning said.
The Santa Barbara police said Wednesday they have issued an arrest warrant for pop star Michael Jackson on multiple charges of child molestation.
The move comes one day after investigators searched Mr. Jackson's Neverland Ranch in California for more than 14 hours. Two other search warrants were also executed in Southern California Tuesday.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff Jim Anderson said Wednesday that bail has been set at $3-million (U.S.) and Mr. Jackson has been ordered to turn over his passport.
“The service of the [search] warrant was part of an ongoing investigation alleging criminal misconduct on the part of Michael Jackson,” Sheriff Anderson said. “The basis for this investigation regarding Mr. Jackson involves allegations of child molestation.”
The warrant is for a violation of Section 288 of the California Penal Code, which prohibits lewd or lascivious acts with a child under age 14. A conviction carries three to eight years in prison.
Jackson spokesman Stuart Backerman said in a statement Thursday that the entertainer is in Las Vegas has already made arrangements with the District Attorney to return to Santa Barbara to immediately “confront and prove these charges unfounded.”
“The outrageous allegations against Michael Jackson are false,” the statement reads. “Michael would never harm a child in any way. These scurrilous and totally unfounded allegations will be proven false in a courtroom. Naturally, the implications are distressing to everyone who hears them, which is precisely the point.”
"We are disturbed by the levity of the environment surrounding the announcement of these very serious charges. When the evidence is presented and the allegations proven to be malicious and wholly unfounded, Michael will be able to put this nightmare behind him.”
District Attorney Thomas Sneddon refused comment on how many charges Mr. Jackson is facing, saying only that there is only one victim in the case and that the victim is cooperating with authorities.
An affidavit outlining details of the case will be sealed for 45 days.
Mr. Sneddon went out of his way to clarify that this case is very different than a 1993 investigation in to accusations that Mr. Jackson molested a 13-year-old boy.
No criminal charges were ever filled.
“There were never any charges brought in that investigation, no warrant issued,” Mr. Sneddon said. “There is a warrant outstanding and I can assure you that in a very short period of time there will be charges filed against Mr. Jackson -– multiple counts -– that's different.”
The teenager filed a lawsuit against the pop star in the 1993 case, but it was settled out of court, reportedly for $15-million (U.S.).
“There is no civil case file and there is no anticipation that there will be a civil case file in this case,” Mr. Sneddon said. “...We have a co-operative victim in this particular proceeding, so I think there are some things that are very different in what is going on today and what happened before.”
A Jackson family lawyer confirmed Tuesday that the raid was sparked by new child-abuse allegations against the 45-year-old father of three.
"The search warrant indicated that there is an accusation by a 12-year-old boy who says that he was molested and the police are seizing information that they feel is relevant to that accusation," Brian Oxman said. "We are certain that police will be looking for photographs and they are going to enjoy themselves by looking at all the history of Michael Jackson, but we are very doubtful that they will find anything," he said.
Mr. Jackson's children are reportedly still in his custody.
The self-proclaimed King of Pop lashed out Tuesday against the "rogues' gallery of hucksters and inside sources" quoted on the case by various media outlets. The search warrant was served on the same day that his new greatest-hits collection was released.
"I've seen lawyers who do not represent me and spokespeople who do not know me speaking for me,” the statement read. “These characters always seem to surface with a dreadful allegation just as another project, an album, a video, is being released."
Mr. Sneddon denied the warrant had anything to do with the timing of the new album, saying the warrants have been ready for weeks and neither he nor the sheriff were “in to that kind of music.”
The rest of the Jackson family was aware of the arrest warrant, said Steve Manning, a family spokesman.
“It's very unfortunate. They feel very bad about it, but they support him wholeheartedly,” Mr. Manning said.
IME SHOCKED.
