Police who searched Michael Jackson’s Neverland ranch amid child molestation allegations were seeking to arrest the pop icon, NBC television said on Wednesday.
The network cited ”many sources” as having seen the arrest warrant for Jackson when authorities swooped down on his ranch near Santa Barbara, California, on Tuesday.
The search continued overnight into Wednesday, NBC said. Police said they would announce details of the search at 11am (7pm GMT) on Wednesday.
Jackson family lawyer Brian Oxfam confirmed reports that the raid was sparked by new child abuse allegations against the 45-year-old father of three.
”The search warrant that was served at Neverland ranch early yesterday [Tuesday] morning indicated that there was a 12-year-old boy who was a complaining witness concerning sexual molestation accusations,” Oxfam told NBC.
”We don’t know the identity of the child, we don’t know the specifics of the accusations, and to all intents and purposes, we simply are investigating this and we do not know what it is all about at this point,” he added.
The highly publicised swoop — which took place while Jackson was reportedly filming a video in Las Vegas — reignited suspicions that have been swirling around the singer since he was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy 10 years ago.
Between 60 and 70 investigators armed with a search warrant flooded the sprawling estate near Santa Barbara at 8.30am (4.30pm GMT) on Tuesday, Senior Sheriff’s Deputy Tim Gracey said.
The raid coincided with Jackson’s release of Number One, his first album since Invincible flopped last year.
Police and press vehicles gathered outside his classical-style mansion, which is surrounded by a children’s zoo and theme park rides that ”Jacko” opens to local children once a year.
Jackson’s Los Angeles publicist said the star would cooperate with authorities.
”Michael will, as always, cooperate fully with authorities in any investigation, even as it is conducted — yet again — while he is not home,” said Stuart Backerman.
The publicist lashed out at media coverage, branding those commenting on the case ”a rogue’s gallery of hucksters and self-styled ‘inside sources’ … speculating, guessing and fabricating”.
”I’ve seen lawyers who do not represent me and spokespeople who do not know me speaking for me,” he quoted Jackson as saying in a statement.
Prosecutors in Santa Barbara, about 160km north of Los Angeles, declined to comment.
The raid came nine months after prosecutors investigated Jackson’s ”unusual” admission in a British television interview that he had slept in the same bed as a 12-year-old boy in his mansion.
Any claims of wrongdoing were quickly dismissed and Jackson denied any impropriety with the boy, while Court TV said the latest probe was not connected to that incident.
The eccentric Peter Pan of the music world was accused in 1993 of sexually abusing a 13-year-old, a case that Jackson settled out of court in an undisclosed civil payment that was reportedly in excess of $25-million.
Jackson strongly denied the charges. The investigation, however, remains ”open but inactive,” District Attorney Thomas Sneddon said in February.
The raid is the latest in a litany of legal and public relations problems faced by the legendary entertainer, whose career and considerable fortune have waned in recent years.
A year ago, the beleaguered entertainer came under fire for dangling his baby son from a fourth-floor hotel window in Berlin for photographers.
And this year he was hit by a flurry of lawsuits by former aides and promoters and rumours that he is all but bankrupt as his record sales slump and lawsuits fly. — Sapa-AFP