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Jackson Attorney: FBI Files Are 'Almost
Vindication'
By LEE FERRAN and EILEEN MURPHY acquitted of all charges in the 2005 case, which went
to trial.
Dec. 23, 2009
Molestation Accuser Identity Redacted
A lawyer for the Michael Jackson family said that the
now public but heavily redacted FBI file on the late The heavily redacted FBI documents do not reveal the
pop superstar shows that "there's not one scrap of name of the boy that officials met with. "Victim
evidence" that Michael Jackson ever harmed a child. indicates that he has no interest in testifying against
"In all these pages, hundreds of pages, many many Jackson," according to the documents, "and would
hours of investigations ... there's not one scrap of legally fight any attempt to do so." Prior to the FBI's
evidence that Michael Jackson ever ... did anything interview with the accuser, the documents show that
wrong, committed any crime," said Brian Oxman, who the FBI helped Santa Barbara prosecutors with
represented several members of the Jackson family. "interview strategies for a victim who alleged that
"It's almost a vindication, when you look at this. The Michael Jackson had abused him in 1993." The
FBI looked at all of these matters and said, 'There's documents also quote the boy as saying that he
nothing here.'" Oxman said the sheer scope of the "believed that he had done his part," presumably
documents -- 333 pages out of the 673-page file referring to his initial involvement with law
were made public -- came as a shock to the Jackson enforcement before agreeing to a civil settlement with
family. "I spoke to Joe Jackson last night. He said that Jackson that is believed to be $20 million. Former FBI
this FBI file was something he never heard of," Oxman Behavioral Unit agent Ken Lanning, who consulted on
said. "We're surprised and shocked by what we the 2003 molestation case, told ABCNews.com
found." Tuesday that this kind of coordination is common.
"Child molestation cases are the type of cases that
Click here to read the FBI file from 2004 child involve multi agencies," he said. "There were potential
molestation case. federal violations and the FBI has jurisdiction in a
couple of areas. What the FBI behavioral analysis unit
Oxman said he knew the file existed but "had no idea" does is try to work on the approach, help them
the FBI had investigated Jackson's home computers in understand the issues." The documents also reveal
search of child pornography as the documents state. that Santa Barbara police had concerns about a
According to one of the FBI agents involved in the
Jackson investigation, the bureau was brought in at
advertisement
the request of local police. "We have the international
and interstate capabilities that local law enforcement
and local DAs don't have," agent James Clemente told
"Good Morning America." One major revelation in the
more than 300 pages of government documents was
that the FBI had assisted Santa Barbara, Calif., officials
in their attempt to get cooperation from a person who
could have been a key witness in the 2005 child
molestation case against Michael Jackson: the boy
who accused the pop star of molesting him in 1993.
No criminal charges were ever filed in the 1993 case.
Instead, the then 12-year-old boy refused to
cooperate with officials and accepted a multi-million
dollar settlement from Jackson. The documents
released Tuesday under the Freedom of Information
Act show that the FBI and Santa Barbara officials met
in 2004 with Jackson's 1993 accuser but were
unsuccessful in getting his cooperation. Jackson was
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possible terrorist attack related to the 2003 arrest of
Jackson, which led to a request for FBI assistance. The
FBI concluded there was no threat. The 1993
accuser's mother, June did testify at the trial 2005 and
told the court that the ordeal with Jackson in 1993
fractured the boy's family and cost her the
relationship she had with her son. The accuser's
father Evan killed himself last month. A onetime
Beverly Hills dentist, Evan was found in his New
Jersey waterfront apartment dead from a self-inflicted
gunshot wound. Sources close to the family say his
suicide most likely stemmed from his longtime
debilitating illness. During the 2005 trial it was
known that the FBI's behavioral and forensics units
had consulted on the case, but the file released
Tuesday reveals that various arms of the FBI assisted
the Santa Barbara district attorney's office. They
included the crimes against children unit (CACU),
innocent images national initiative against children
unit, computer analysis response team (CART), the FBI
lab, Los Angeles NCAVC coordinator and the
Department of Justice's child exploitation and
obscenity section (CEO's). The FBI examined Jackson's
motor vehicle records to see if he "transported a
minor across state lines for immoral purposes." The
agency went to London and Manila to investigate
other accusations that Jackson had engaged in i
mproper behavior with boys. The agency also
investigated another allegation from a woman and her
husband who worked in child services in Toronto,
Canada. The couple had taken the same train as
Jackson from Chicago to the Grand Canyon and said
Jackson had a minor boy with him whom he identified
as a "cousin." The couple reported that Jackson was
possessive of the boy and that they heard
questionable noises. The woman was concerned
enough to notify a conductor. Before the 2005 trial,
the FBI and DA also met to discuss "…the collection of
sexually explicit images in magazine and books" and
a VHS videotape that the FBI analyzed as part of a
child pornography investigation. Also within the advertisement
documents is a lot of material pertaining to threats
made by Frank Paul Jones, who was convicted in 1993
of stalking Janet Jackson and threatening to commit
mass murder at a Michael Jackson concert.
Click here to read the FBI file from the extortion
investigation
This was all reported at the time, but it's not clear if
Jones' letters were ever released. In one letter, dated
5/21/1992, Jones threatened to kill Michael Jackson
if "I don't get my money." Jones copied the FBI and the
late mob boss John Gotti on the letter. He also
threatened to kill President George H.W. Bush. On July
16, 1992 Jones threatened in another letter to
"commit mass murder" at a Michael Jackson concert, if
necessary, in an attempt to kill Jackson.
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