Myth: The Document Documenting Michael Jackson's Porn Collection Was Fake
April 10, 2020
In June 2016, the tabloid website Radar Online published an article titled "Paedo Proof? Never-Before-Seen Cop Reports Expose Michael Jackson’s Sick Secrets."
The article asserts that "seven years after the King of Pop's death, RadarOnline.com has acquired previously unseen reports from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department that reveal the true depths of his depravity."
Within the article, it claims that the police investigation uncovered "filthy photos and videos of men, women, boys and girls in perverted positions."
As the above video demonstrates, some news sources, took the sensational writing style as proof that the police uncovered child pornography at Jackson's Neverland Ranch. While Jackson did own books and pictures containing images of nude children, none of them met the legal definition of child pornography.
The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department responded to Radar Online's article by stating:
Some of the documents appear to be copies of reports that were authored by Sheriff’s Office personnel as well as evidentiary photographs taken by Sheriff’s Office personnel interspersed with content that appears to be obtained off the internet or through unknown sources,” a representative of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department said in an email to Billboard. “The Sheriff’s Office did not release any of the documents and/or photographs to the media. The Sheriff’s Office released all of its reports and the photographs as part of the required discovery process to the prosecution and the defense.
The documents with a header titled Sheriff’s Department that contain a case number appear to be Sheriff’s Office documents. The photos that are interspersed appear to be some evidentiary photos taken by Sheriff’s investigators and others are clearly obtained from the Internet.
Source: billboard.com
There are a couple of things to point out. First, the claim by Radar Online that they obtained never-before-seen reports, is entirely false. The documents in question, have been online since 2005, and can be directly downloaded from the Santa Barbara County website.
Furthermore, the PDF document they posted wasn't in its original, unedited format. Essentially, they used official documents, interspersed with other information they acquired from the Internet, such as pictures of the items listed.
Following the statement from the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department, the Michael Jackson Estate swiftly dismissed the document as a fake.
Seven years ago this coming Saturday, the world lost an amazing artist and humanitarian devoted to helping children in need in all corners of the world. Michael Jackson’s fans, including the Executors of his estate, prefer to remember the wonderful gifts Michael left behind instead of having to once again see his good name dragged through the mud by tabloid trash.
Everything in these reports, including what the County of Santa Barbara calls “content that appears to be obtained off the Internet or through unknown sources” is false, no doubt timed to the anniversary of Michael’s passing. Those who continue to shamelessly exploit Michael via sleazy internet “click bait” ignore that he was acquitted by a jury in 2005 on every one of the 14 salacious charges brought against him in a failed witch hunt.
Michael remains just as innocent of these smears in death as he was in life even though he isn’t here to defend himself. Enough is enough.
Source: billboard.com
They seized on the words “…content that appears to be obtained off the internet or through unknown sources… and declared Radar Online's entire article false.
This, however, is untrue. At no point does a representative of the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department challenge the overall authenticity of the documents in question. He clarifies that the reports are simply copies of materials created by personnel from the sheriff's office and notes that some photographs serve as evidence taken by those same officers. His concerns are specifically directed toward the authenticity of certain photos and the website listed at the bottom of the documents—nothing more.
A significant portion consists of legal adult pornography, encompassing both heterosexual and homosexual content, with some instances regarded as quite grotesque—depicting mutilation or bondage. Additionally, there is a troubling collection of material featuring adults posing as teenagers. Other items included bizarre books that feature depictions of men, women, and children, sometimes nude or in unsettling contexts. While these are not explicitly pornographic, they starkly contrast the angelic image that Michael Jackson often sought to portray.
Furthermore, the documents contain numerous books and magazines featuring photographs of semi-nude or fully naked children.
Documentary: Why Michael Jackson Won (2005)
This material was seized because professional investigators deemed it relevant to the case, as outlined in each of the elements detailed in the report.
In summary, the documents posted by Radar Online were not fake. They were, however, slightly misleading, as they were neither new, nor were they posted in their original format. Nonetheless, the types of pornographic and questionable materials mentioned in the documents, including nude images of children, were indeed owned and seized from Michael Jackson's property, without any doubt.
With permission, the following article was translated and enhanced from The Truth about Michael Jackson.