Jackson Note Showed Concern About Sex Abuse

ByABC News via GMA logo
March 10, 2004, 9:34 PM

March 11 -- Michael Jackson asked his sister-in-law to warn his nephews about the dangers of child molestation in a letter found in a warehouse filled with Jackson memorabilia.

The treasure trove of memorabilia acquired by a New Jersey businessman following a dispute with the Jackson family over payment is yielding items that may provide a better insight into the self-described King of Pop and how he thinks.

One of those artifacts is an undated note to his sister-in-law Dee-Dee, Tito's wife, who died in 1994. It shows he was concerned about the issue of child molestation.

"Please read this article about child molestation to T.J. and Tarryle [his nephews ]," the note reads. "It brings out how even your own relative can be molesters of children or even uncles or aunts molesting nephews and nieces. Please read. Love MJ."

It is not clear whether the note was ever received by Dee-Dee Jackson.

See the full report on Primetime tonight at 10 p.m.

In 1993, a 13-year-old boy accused Jackson of molesting him. Jackson, who denied the allegations, settled a civil suit filed by the boy's family. No criminal charges were brought.

Jackson now faces charges that he molested a 12-year-old boy who had stayed at his Neverland ranch. The singer has pleaded not guilty.

Among other artifacts in the warehouse are notes from Jackson to himself. Some of them concern Walter Yetnikoff, the former president of CBS Records who spent 15 years working with Jackson.

Yetnikoff recently released an autobiography, Howling at the Moon, in which he writes that Jackson referred to him as "good daddy" as opposed to biological father Joe, who Yetnikoff says Jackson feared.

"He once said to me, 'I've done all this stuff and my father has never said, 'Michael I'm proud of you.' So I said, 'Here, Michael, we're all proud of you. Give me a hug.' It was what he seemed to need at the time," Yetnikoff told ABCNEWS' Cynthia McFadden.

A Star, Not a Child

Yetnikoff told McFadden his impressions of the young superstar. "Michael was more vulnerable as a human being," he said. "He was already a star at 6.