Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Statement on Michael Jackson Verdict

June 28, 2005

In June of 2003, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department received information that a 13 year old boy was possibly a victim of lewd acts. The allegation claimed that Entertainer Michael Jackson had engaged in these activities while the victim was a guest at the Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos, California.

Allegations of child abuse are taken seriously by this department. The allegation was carefully reviewed by the Sheriff's Department Criminal Investigations Division. It was determined that the allegation merited further investigation.

Child abuse, molestation and other crimes against children are often the most difficult to investigate. The Sheriff's department, as mandated by law and guided by a moral and ethical obligation to the child victim, has a duty to investigate these allegations.

Our agency would be remiss if we did not investigate these types of allegations. Our duty is to protect the victims of abuse and ensure that the truth is found. It is equally important to exonerate those wrongly accused as it is to bring those involved in criminal behavior to justice.

The Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department is only one part of the Criminal Justice System. Our duty is to protect the life and property of the public, investigate criminal activity, gather evidence and present these findings to the District Attorney. The Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department and our employee's have carried out this task with Integrity, Courage, and Fairness.

The Sheriff's Department presented its findings to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney. They in turn presented these findings to a criminal grand jury who indicted Michael Jackson. A Jury of 12 decided the outcome of this trial. Using the standard of reasonable doubt, they rendered a verdict that was based on facts in evidence and within the guidelines of the law.

Mr. Jackson has been acquitted on all counts. The Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department has closed the case on Mr. Jackson and these allegations will no longer be investigated.

This case has had some impact on all members of the Sheriff's Department. As previously mentioned, our investigators have performed professionally throughout this entire investigation. I truly believe that they have done the best job possible under the circumstances of celebrity and international scrutiny. Law enforcement personnel are advocates for victims of crimes, no matter who the suspect is.

The Sheriff and I are extremely proud of our department personnel and their professional actions.

Ken Shemwell,
Undersheriff