In December 2003, police raided Neverland ranch, home of pop singer Michael Jackson, and searched for evidence of child molestation. Shortly afterwards, Jackson was officially charged with child molestation. Last week the Radar Online entertainment website released a previously unseen police report from the 2003 raid.

Family and fans of Jackson’s are asking why the report was released after so many years have passed. (Jackson was acquitted of all charges in 2005, and he died in 2009.) The officer who looked at the pictures declared in his report that they do not meet the definition of child pornography. He noted, however, that they might have been used to groom youngsters and desensitize them to sexual advances.

You can read the news story at this link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-michael-jackson-police-report_us_576ad5d1e4b09926ce5d611b

You can download the police report and view some of the pictures that were found at this link: https://web.archive.org/web/20160621193645/http://radaronline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/mj-docs.pdf

If you take the time to read the police report, you’ll notice the following features:

• the report is jargon-free and written in everyday language
• the officer cites his training when he evaluates the pictures
• the report is lengthy, objective, and thorough

Studying actual police reports – especially reports that exemplify professional practices – is an excellent way to sharpen your own writing skills. There’s much to learn from this report about Michael Jackson’s Neverland ranch.

         Michael Jackson