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CNN Live Today
Trouble in Neverland
Aired December 10, 2003 - 10:48 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: The child molestation case against pop star Michael Jackson takes yet another strange turn. CNN has confirmed that a confidential memo from the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services found that a young boy's charges of sexual abuse are, quote, "unfounded." But the prosecutor in the case is reportedly discounting that memo. Why? Well, we're going to put that question to Harvey Levin, the executive producer for "Celebrity Justice," himself an attorney and investigative reporter.
Harvey, good morning.
HARVEY LEVIN, EXEC. PROD, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": Hi, Daryn.
KAGAN: This one takes another turn.
LEVIN: It does take another turn, but not one the D.A. didn't expect. We know that he knew about this. Basically what happened was somebody from this boy's school made a call to child services, the hotline, after this Martin Brashear documentary aired. At that point, they did an investigation, in February of this year. The boy was interviewed. The mother was interviewed. One of the boy's siblings was interviewed. And the conclusion was nothing that -- basically, it was unfounded. They had no evidence of sexual molestation.
Now, here's what we know. We've told you guys before that we know that around June, the mother and the boy went to attorney Larry Feldman. That's the very famous lawyer who represented the boy 10 years ago that sued Michael Jackson and Feldman become concerned, sent the boy to a therapist, and the therapist then says he got the boy to finally disclose a secret that Michael Jackson allegedly sexually abused him.
Now here's what we found out, Daryn, and we know the D.A. knows this. It hasn't come out yet. But in June, I can give you a date. On June 12th of this year, at 3:30 in the afternoon, Larry Feldman and that therapist personally drove to the Department of Children and Family Services in L.A. They met with a director. They said, look, we have evidence of sexual abuse, the boy was hiding something, we have evidence now. Two social workers listened to the therapist and said, is the boy in immediate danger? And the therapist said no, because he's not having any contact anymore with Michael Jackson. And they said, well, what are we going to do about that, and we're not going to take a report, and the therapist said, look, I have a duty to report it, and Larry Feldman said there's a legal duty to report this to you, and one of the social workers said to Feldman and the therapist, well, that's a doctor's problem, and they booted him out and never took a report, refused to take a report. The next day is when Larry Feldman called the Santa Barbara County D.A. and said, look, they won't listen to this in L.A., so what do you think? And Sneddon jumped on it and then began the investigation.
KAGAN: Which explains a couple of things, because the one statement we have out of that department, the Department of Children and Family Services in a memo. They say the investigation by the sensitive case unit concluded the allegations of neglect and sexual abuse to be unfounded both by the LAPD Wilshire division and the police department. So that would be coming from the first investigation. There's also another statement released by Tom Sneddon, the D.A. in Santa Barbara County, saying these documents coming out, that were on the Internet yesterday and are making the news, he's not really concerned about that, because according to him, this case goes forward from here.
LEVIN: Well, it goes forward because they knew about it. Their position all along was the boy withheld information, even lied, and that obviously creates a problem on the stand, when you have a witness with inconsistent statements, but they say they can deal with it, because it was a secret that came out during a therapy session.
So you know, in terms of this memo leaking, Sneddon may not be concerned, but I talked to the head of children's services yesterday, and he is ballistic, and told me that he knows that it could only be a small handful of people within his department who leaked it, and he says he's going to find the guy and fire him. But what's interesting is 10 years ago, children's services leaked the report on the other boy who accused Michael Jackson, and when Feldman went to see them on June 12th, he said, look, you leaked it 10 years ago, you better not leak this one, and it's deja vu.
KAGAN: I need a chart to follow all that.
I want to ask you about a celebrity couple here, Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, right here in the Atlanta area, more troubles with the law again.
LEVIN: Yes, I mean, they can fill a show, sadly. What apparently happened this time is Whitney Houston called 911, police showed up, Bobby Brown was not there. Whitney Houston reportedly had a bruise and a cut lip. She had reported that Bobby Brown had struck her. So police are investigating for domestic violence and for battery. As far as I know right now, they have not contacted Bobby Brown. They are trying to do that, and no charges have been filed yet.
KAGAN: All right, we'll be following it. Harvey Levin, "Celebrity Justice." Harvey, thank you.
LEVIN: See you, Daryn.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 10, 2003 - 10:48 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: The child molestation case against pop star Michael Jackson takes yet another strange turn. CNN has confirmed that a confidential memo from the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services found that a young boy's charges of sexual abuse are, quote, "unfounded." But the prosecutor in the case is reportedly discounting that memo. Why? Well, we're going to put that question to Harvey Levin, the executive producer for "Celebrity Justice," himself an attorney and investigative reporter.
Harvey, good morning.
HARVEY LEVIN, EXEC. PROD, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": Hi, Daryn.
KAGAN: This one takes another turn.
LEVIN: It does take another turn, but not one the D.A. didn't expect. We know that he knew about this. Basically what happened was somebody from this boy's school made a call to child services, the hotline, after this Martin Brashear documentary aired. At that point, they did an investigation, in February of this year. The boy was interviewed. The mother was interviewed. One of the boy's siblings was interviewed. And the conclusion was nothing that -- basically, it was unfounded. They had no evidence of sexual molestation.
Now, here's what we know. We've told you guys before that we know that around June, the mother and the boy went to attorney Larry Feldman. That's the very famous lawyer who represented the boy 10 years ago that sued Michael Jackson and Feldman become concerned, sent the boy to a therapist, and the therapist then says he got the boy to finally disclose a secret that Michael Jackson allegedly sexually abused him.
Now here's what we found out, Daryn, and we know the D.A. knows this. It hasn't come out yet. But in June, I can give you a date. On June 12th of this year, at 3:30 in the afternoon, Larry Feldman and that therapist personally drove to the Department of Children and Family Services in L.A. They met with a director. They said, look, we have evidence of sexual abuse, the boy was hiding something, we have evidence now. Two social workers listened to the therapist and said, is the boy in immediate danger? And the therapist said no, because he's not having any contact anymore with Michael Jackson. And they said, well, what are we going to do about that, and we're not going to take a report, and the therapist said, look, I have a duty to report it, and Larry Feldman said there's a legal duty to report this to you, and one of the social workers said to Feldman and the therapist, well, that's a doctor's problem, and they booted him out and never took a report, refused to take a report. The next day is when Larry Feldman called the Santa Barbara County D.A. and said, look, they won't listen to this in L.A., so what do you think? And Sneddon jumped on it and then began the investigation.
KAGAN: Which explains a couple of things, because the one statement we have out of that department, the Department of Children and Family Services in a memo. They say the investigation by the sensitive case unit concluded the allegations of neglect and sexual abuse to be unfounded both by the LAPD Wilshire division and the police department. So that would be coming from the first investigation. There's also another statement released by Tom Sneddon, the D.A. in Santa Barbara County, saying these documents coming out, that were on the Internet yesterday and are making the news, he's not really concerned about that, because according to him, this case goes forward from here.
LEVIN: Well, it goes forward because they knew about it. Their position all along was the boy withheld information, even lied, and that obviously creates a problem on the stand, when you have a witness with inconsistent statements, but they say they can deal with it, because it was a secret that came out during a therapy session.
So you know, in terms of this memo leaking, Sneddon may not be concerned, but I talked to the head of children's services yesterday, and he is ballistic, and told me that he knows that it could only be a small handful of people within his department who leaked it, and he says he's going to find the guy and fire him. But what's interesting is 10 years ago, children's services leaked the report on the other boy who accused Michael Jackson, and when Feldman went to see them on June 12th, he said, look, you leaked it 10 years ago, you better not leak this one, and it's deja vu.
KAGAN: I need a chart to follow all that.
I want to ask you about a celebrity couple here, Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, right here in the Atlanta area, more troubles with the law again.
LEVIN: Yes, I mean, they can fill a show, sadly. What apparently happened this time is Whitney Houston called 911, police showed up, Bobby Brown was not there. Whitney Houston reportedly had a bruise and a cut lip. She had reported that Bobby Brown had struck her. So police are investigating for domestic violence and for battery. As far as I know right now, they have not contacted Bobby Brown. They are trying to do that, and no charges have been filed yet.
KAGAN: All right, we'll be following it. Harvey Levin, "Celebrity Justice." Harvey, thank you.
LEVIN: See you, Daryn.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
