ED BRADLEY: What is your response to the allegations that were brought by the district attorney in Santa Barbara, that you molested this boy?

MICHAEL JACKSON: Totally false. Before I would hurt a child, I would slit my wrists. I would never hurt a child It?s totally false. I was outraged. I could never do something like that

This is a kid you knew?

Yes.

How would you characterize your relationship with this boy?

I?ve helped many, many, many children, thousands of children, cancer kids, leukemia kids. This is one of many.

So when this boy would come over what would he do?

I?ll tell you exactly. When I first saw him, he was total bald-headed, white as snow from the chemotherapy, very bony, looked anorexic, no eyebrows, no eyelashes. And he was so weak, I would have to carry him from the house to the game room, or push him in a wheelchair, to try to give him a childhood, a life. Cause I felt bad. Because I never had that chance, too, as a child. You know? I know what it felt like in that way. Not being sick, but not having had a childhood. So, my heart go out to those children I feel their pain.

<B >The British documentary last February which you didn?t like. You said in that documentary that many children have slept in your bedroom.

Yeah.

You said, and I?m gonna quote here, «Why can?t you share your bed? A most loving thing to do is to share your bed with ? with someone.»

Yes.

<B>As we sit here today, do you still think that it?s acceptable to share your bed with children?

Of course. Of course. Why not? If you?re gonna be a pedophile, if you?re gonna be Jack the Ripper, if you?re gonna be a murderer, it?s not a good idea. That I?m not. That?s how we were raised. And I met, I didn?t sleep in the bed with the child. Even if I did, it?s okay. I slept on the floor. I give the bed to the child.

<B>But given all that you?ve been through...

Yeah?

Given the allegations, given the innuendo, why would you put yourself in a position where something like this could happen again?

Well, I?m always more cautious. But I will never stop helping and loving people the way Jesus said to. He said, «Continue to love. Always love. Remember children. Imitate the children.» Not childish, but childlike.

<B>You?re a parent. You?ve got three children.

Yes.

<B> Would you allow your children to sleep in the bed with a grown man, who was not a relative, or to sleep in the bedroom?

Sure, if I know that person, trust them, and love them. That?s happened many times with me when I was little.

<B> Would you, as a parent, allow your children to sleep in the same bedroom with someone, who has the suspicions and allegations that have been made against you, and about you today? Would you allow that?

Someone...

If you knew someone, who had the same...

I?m not ...

<B>...kind of allegations...

Ed, I know exactly what you?re saying.

...that were made against you ... would you let your children...

My children?

...sleep in that man?s bedroom?

Mmm, if I knew the person personally. Cause I know how the press is, and how people can twist the truth, if I knew the person personally, absolutely yes. Absolutely. I wouldn?t have a problem with it.

Do you know how this looks to a lot of people? I mean, do you understand that?

How does what look?

How the fact that you...

Know why? People think sex. They?re thinking sex. My mind doesn?t run that way. When I see children, I see the face of God. That?s why I love them so much. That?s what I see.

Do you know any other man your age, a 45-year-old man, who shares his bedroom with children?

Of course. Not for sex. No. That?s wrong.

Well, let me say, from my perspective, my experience, I don?t know any 45-year-old men, who are not relatives of the children, who share their bedroom with other children.

Well, what?s wrong with sharing your bed? I didn?t say I slept in the bed. Even if I did sleep in the bed, it?s okay. I am not going to do anything sexual to a child. It?s not where my heart is. I would never do anything like that. That?s not Michael Jackson. I?m sorry. That?s someone else.

What was going through your mind when you?re taken into a police station, in handcuffs, to have a mug shot taken, that you know is gonna be shown around the world?

They did it to try and belittle me, to try and to take away my pride. But I went through the whole system with them. And at the end, I wanted the public to know that I was okay, even though I was hurting.

What happened when they arrested you? What did they do to you?

They were supposed to go in, and just check fingerprints, and do the whole thing that they do when they take somebody in. They manhandled me very roughly. My shoulder is dislocated, literally. It?s hurting me very badly. I?m in pain all the time.

<B> Because of what happened at the police station?

Yeah. Yeah. At the police station. If you saw what they did to my arms ? it was very bad what they did. It?s very swollen.

How did they do it? I mean, physically, what did they do?

With the handcuffs, the way they tied ?em too tight behind my back.

<B> Behind your back?

Yeah. And putting it, they put it in a certain position, knowing that it?s going to hurt, and affect my back. Now I can?t move. It keeps me from sleeping at night. Then one time, I asked to use the restroom. And they said, «Sure, it?s right around the corner there.» Once I went in the restroom, they locked me in there for like 45 minutes. There was doo doo, feces thrown all over the walls, the floor, the ceiling. And it stunk so bad. Then one of the policemen came by the window. And he made a sarcastic remark. He said, «Smell - does it smell good enough for you in there? How do you like the smell? Is it good?» And I just simply said, «It?s alright. It?s okay.» So, I just sat there, and waited.

How did you feel when they went into Neverland, I mean, with a search warrant? I mean, what were they looking for? What did they take?

My room is a complete wreck. My workers told me. They said, «Michael, don?t go in your room.» They were crying on the phone, my employees. They said, «If you saw your room, you would cry.» I have stairs that go up to my bed. And they said, «You can?t even get up the stairs. The room is totally trashed.»

So, you haven?t been back there?

I?ve been back there. But not in my bedroom. I won?t live there ever again. I?ll visit Neverland. It?s a house now. It?s not a home anymore. I?ll only visit there.

What has all this done to your career?

In what way? I?m... my album... is number one all over the world. All over the world. America is the only one, because I don?t wanna say too much.

But it?s not number one in the United States?

It?s a conspiracy. Yeah. I?m getting tired.

Michael, what would you say to your fans ?

Well, I would tell them I love them very much. And they?ve learned about me, and know about me from a distance.

But if you really want to know about me, there?s a song I wrote, which is the most honest song I?ve ever written. It?s the most autobiographical song I?ve ever written. It?s called, Childhood. They should listen to it. That?s the one they really should listen to. And thank you for your support, the fans around the world. I love you with all my heart. I don?t take any of it for granted. Any of it. And I love them dearly, all over the world.