Memo gives Jackson Ammo – NY Daily News

Memo gives Jacko ammo NY Daily News By TRACY CONNOR DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER Michael Jackson’s accuser told child welfare investigators in February that the pop star never molested him, and they found no other evidence of abuse, a confidential document reveals. The internal memo from the Los Angeles Department of Children & Family Services could become a weapon for Jackson’s defense. But prosecutors in Santa Barbara County, who have accused the singer of molesting the 13-year-old at his Neverland Ranch, shrugged it off yesterday. The memo detailed the agency’s response to a tip about a TV documentary in which the young cancer survivor told of sharing a bed with Jackson. When child welfare workers interviewed the youngster, he denied any sexual abuse took place or that he slept with the entertainer. In addition, his brother and sister said they never saw anything inappropriate, and his mother claimed the children were never left alone with Jackson. “The investigation … concluded the allegations of neglect and sexual abuse to be unfounded,” said the memo, which was posted yesterday on The Smoking Gun Web site. Jackson’s lawyer did not return calls, but prosecutors said they knew of the probe and its results when they arrested Jackson last month. Citing the “circumstances and the timing” of the L.A. probe, Santa Barbara District Attorney Tom Sneddon said the report was not considered “a significant factor.” He did not elaborate, but sources said the boy did not accuse Jackson until he spoke to a therapist in March – a month after he was grilled by child welfare workers. Nevertheless, legal experts said the memo is a boon to the defense, which already has the mother praising Jackson on a tape recording and in an affidavit. “It’s definitely bad for the prosecution,” said Eric Chase, a Los Angeles lawyer who has defended many accused molesters. “They’ll argue it’s not uncommon for children to deny these things. They’ll put on expert witnesses. But any time a witness, even a child, says something different to official investigators, it’s good for the defense.” Originally published on December 10, 2003 Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/144508p-127718c.html