Investigate Michael Jackson, Says Child Abuse Prevention Group

2/6/2003

From: Melissa Wiles of Prevent Child Abuse America, 312-663-3520 ext. 146

CHICAGO, Feb. 6 -- The largest nationwide organization devoted to child abuse prevention, Prevent Child Abuse America, has asked authorities in Santa Barbara, California, to open an investigation of pop star Michael Jackson to determine whether he is a threat to either his own or to other children.

In a British television documentary to be shown tonight in the United States, Jackson reportedly defends the November 2002 incident in which he dangled his infant child over a fourth floor balcony in Berlin and admits to sharing his bed with children who are not his own, including a 12-year-old boy.

On Thursday, the presidents of Prevent Child Abuse America and Prevent Child Abuse California sent a letter to Santa Barbara District Attorney Tom Sneddon calling on him to open an investigation into the matter.

"If any of us had a neighbor we knew to be engaged in this kind of activity, we would report him to the appropriate authorities," wrote A. Sidney Johnson III, president and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America. "By his own public actions and statements, Michael Jackson has raised enough red flags for us to be concerned about protecting the welfare of the children with whom he comes in contact, including his own."

"Michael Jackson should not be exempt from the oversight of the child protective service system by virtue of his celebrity," concluded the letter, which was co-signed by Gloria Gruber, president of Prevent Child Abuse California. "Only a thorough investigation will determine whether these allegations are true and whether immediate steps might be necessary to protect the children involved."

Founded in 1972, Prevent Child Abuse America is the leading organization working at the national, state and local levels to prevent the abuse and neglect of our nation's children. Headquartered in Chicago, Prevent Child Abuse America has a network of chapters in nearly 40 states and the District of Columbia. The organization is widely known for its public awareness campaigns, prevention programs, advocacy efforts and research. For more information about child abuse and neglect prevention visit http://www.preventchildabuse.org.