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American Morning
Jackson Investigation
Aired November 19, 2003 - 07:04 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Michael Jackson's new CD, a compilation of his greatest hits, is in stores right now. Well, that's the good news for the king of pop. The bad news? Police have been swarming over his Neverland Ranch, reportedly investigating sexual abuse allegations by a teenage boy.
CNN's Gary Tuchman joins us live now from Jackson's estate in Los Olivos, California, which is near Santa Barbara.
Good morning -- Gary.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Soledad, good morning to you.
The police are no longer inside Neverland. The question is: What did they take outside Neverland?
Yesterday morning, yesterday afternoon, last night, dozens of law enforcement authorities scoured Michael Jackson's most unusual homestead, and they got the permission from a judge to be here. He had to rule there was probable cause a crime was committed before he gave them a search warrant.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Late in the evening, a sheriff's office forensic's vehicle pulled out of Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch, ending a 13-hour law enforcement onslaught on the king of pop's fantasy home. A source with knowledge of why a search warrant was sought says it's in response to allegations Michael Jackson molested a child.
The 45-year-old singer is said to be in Las Vegas, shooting a video for a song released just Tuesday on a new album.
Jackson made a statement via a spokesman, saying -- quote -- "These characters always seem to surface with a dreadful allegation just as another project, an album, a video is being released."
Jackson's associates say they were given no warning about the warrant. No surprise, say tight-lipped authorities.
SGT. CHRIS PAPPAS, SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: We find it highly unlikely that any agency would make prior notification as to the service of a search warrant.
TUCHMAN: Michael Jackson's past behavior has raised uncomfortable and disturbing questions. In 1994, he reached an undisclosed financial settlement with a 14-year-old boy, who said he had been sexually molested at the Neverland Ranch. Jackson said he was innocent and was never charged with a crime.
Earlier this year, Jackson told a British TV interviewer he sometimes shares his bed with children, but said -- quote: "It's not sexual. We're going to sleep. I tuck them in."
BRYAN MICHAEL STOLLER, FRIEND OF JACKSON'S: If he says that they shared a bed, then he meant they shared a bed like a father and a son would share a bed. I think if there was anything that was sexual he wouldn't have even brought that up.
TUCHMAN: Roughly 70 members of the Santa Barbara County sheriff's office and district attorney's office participated in the search at the 2,600-acre ranch that has amusement park rides, a petting zoo and perhaps clues police will use against Michael Jackson.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Now, the timing of this search is certainly notable, but, once again, it could not have happened without a judge' permission.
We expect to learn a lot more later today when members of the sheriff's office here and the district attorney's office hold a news conference.
Soledad -- back to you.
O'BRIEN: Gary, Michael Jackson was not at Neverland when the home was being searched. Is there any indication that he's coming back?
TUCHMAN: As of now, no indication whatsoever that he's leaving Las Vegas to come back here to his home.
O'BRIEN: All right, Gary Tuchman for us this morning. Gary, thanks.
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 November 19, 2003 - 07:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Michael Jackson's new CD, a compilation of his greatest hits, is in stores right now. Well, that's the good news for the king of pop. The bad news? Police have been swarming over his Neverland Ranch, reportedly investigating sexual abuse allegations by a teenage boy.
CNN's Gary Tuchman joins us live now from Jackson's estate in Los Olivos, California, which is near Santa Barbara.
Good morning -- Gary.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Soledad, good morning to you.
The police are no longer inside Neverland. The question is: What did they take outside Neverland?
Yesterday morning, yesterday afternoon, last night, dozens of law enforcement authorities scoured Michael Jackson's most unusual homestead, and they got the permission from a judge to be here. He had to rule there was probable cause a crime was committed before he gave them a search warrant.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Late in the evening, a sheriff's office forensic's vehicle pulled out of Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch, ending a 13-hour law enforcement onslaught on the king of pop's fantasy home. A source with knowledge of why a search warrant was sought says it's in response to allegations Michael Jackson molested a child.
The 45-year-old singer is said to be in Las Vegas, shooting a video for a song released just Tuesday on a new album.
Jackson made a statement via a spokesman, saying -- quote -- "These characters always seem to surface with a dreadful allegation just as another project, an album, a video is being released."
Jackson's associates say they were given no warning about the warrant. No surprise, say tight-lipped authorities.
SGT. CHRIS PAPPAS, SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: We find it highly unlikely that any agency would make prior notification as to the service of a search warrant.
TUCHMAN: Michael Jackson's past behavior has raised uncomfortable and disturbing questions. In 1994, he reached an undisclosed financial settlement with a 14-year-old boy, who said he had been sexually molested at the Neverland Ranch. Jackson said he was innocent and was never charged with a crime.
Earlier this year, Jackson told a British TV interviewer he sometimes shares his bed with children, but said -- quote: "It's not sexual. We're going to sleep. I tuck them in."
BRYAN MICHAEL STOLLER, FRIEND OF JACKSON'S: If he says that they shared a bed, then he meant they shared a bed like a father and a son would share a bed. I think if there was anything that was sexual he wouldn't have even brought that up.
TUCHMAN: Roughly 70 members of the Santa Barbara County sheriff's office and district attorney's office participated in the search at the 2,600-acre ranch that has amusement park rides, a petting zoo and perhaps clues police will use against Michael Jackson.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Now, the timing of this search is certainly notable, but, once again, it could not have happened without a judge' permission.
We expect to learn a lot more later today when members of the sheriff's office here and the district attorney's office hold a news conference.
Soledad -- back to you.
O'BRIEN: Gary, Michael Jackson was not at Neverland when the home was being searched. Is there any indication that he's coming back?
TUCHMAN: As of now, no indication whatsoever that he's leaving Las Vegas to come back here to his home.
O'BRIEN: All right, Gary Tuchman for us this morning. Gary, thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
