FBI’s 10-year bid to build Michael Jackson 'molesting' case

The FBI tried for more than a decade to build a case against Michael Jackson over allegations of molesting young boys including having him under surveillance while he was in London, newly-released documents reveal.

Details of the extraordinary efforts made by US authorities emerged in a 333-page FBI file made public under the Freedom of Information.

An FBI special agent travelled to Manila in the Philippines to interview former workers at the singer's Neverland ranch. Officials believed the man and woman had witnessed him molesting boys when they worked at the ranch from 1988 to 1990.

The file states that a legal attache for the US embassy in London was sending back information regarding alleged sexual misconduct by Jackson in England — specifically a phone call to a teenage boy. The FBI file, which dates from 1992 to 1995, was released yesterday, almost six months after Jackson's death at the age of 50.

The FBI's plans to travel the world investigating the singer were made in 1993 — the same year that Jordan Chandler, then 13, accused Jackson of sexual abuse. Jackson settled out of court with Chandler for $22 million.

One document includes notes which state Jackson was riding on a train with a boy he identified as his cousin. The notes said "he was very possessive of boy" and claim a witness on the train "heard questionable noises through wall" at night.

The file also reveals that FBI agents from LA, New York and Miami were secretly involved in the 2005 child molestation case against Jackson. Agents were assigned to assist Santa Barbara county prosecutors in the trial. A jury found him not guilty of all sex abuse charges in 2005.

Tom Mesereau, who was Jackson's lead defence attorney during his trial, said the documents provide further proof the singer did nothing wrong.

"He was not a criminal and he was not a paedophile," Mr Mesereau said. "The fact that so many agencies investigated him and couldn't find anything proves he was completely innocent."