Michael Jackson’s famed Neverland Ranch, originally purchased by the singer in 1988, might become one of the world’s largest sexual-assault rehab therapy camps for children.
While the sprawling compound has been under the control of Colony Capital since 2008, the year before Jackson’s death, the company has recently started entertaining bids from interested buyers.
One of those bidders, a local businessman, is hoping to acquire the 2,700-acre property and is proposing to convert it into a rehabilitation center for molested children, according to a report by Page Six.
The man has reportedly offered “in the neighborhood of $40 million” for the use of the land, a source claiming to have direct knowledge of the sale process said. “His goal is for the place to be used to help children in a serene setting recover from the trauma of sex abuse.”
The unnamed source continued:
The plan is to have children come there for treatment, and they will also hire trained therapists who would help the victims through the use of equine-assisted therapy, which works to improve the kids’ self-esteem, and it helps them to become more outgoing.
Two other bidders reportedly wish to turn the property into a Graceland-like attraction for Jackson’s fans, a proposal that might prove difficult, considering the estate’s past.
In addition to allegations that the “King of Pop” lured kids to the Los Olivos, CA, ranch to molest them, Jackson’s former maids spoke out last August to discuss what they describe as the “filthy” conditions at Neverland.
“Michael sometimes ran around where the animals were, and he’d track . . . poop throughout the house and think nothing of it,” a former maid recalled. “Then, if you said something, he’d threaten to make doo-doo snowballs and throw it at you.”
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.