Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Entertainment
Lydia Smith

Corey Feldman: Police find lost recordings of former child star naming Hollywood sexual predators

Police in California have said they have uncovered audio tapes in which actor Corey Feldman gave them the names of alleged sexual abusers.

Mr Feldman, 46, said he went to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office in 1993 to report predators who had abused him when as a child star in the 1980s.

Mr Feldman said police at the time were investigating Michael Jackson’s child abuse charges, of which he was acquitted in 2005.

The police previously denied his claims, saying they had no records of Mr Feldman giving such information, but have now said an audio recording has been found.

In a statement released on Tuesday night, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office public information officer Kelly Hoover wrote in an email:

“Following the recent inquiries into the Sheriff’s Office interview of Mr Feldman in 1993, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office conducted an additional review for any stored items remaining from the Michael Jackson investigation.

“In a container which included the original reports from the investigation, the Sheriff’s Office located some detective working copies of audio recordings made during the investigation. A copy of Mr Feldman’s interview was located.

“The recording is being turned over to the Los Angeles Police Department.

“Due to the fact that this case involves the alleged sexual abuse of a child, we are unable to comment further and any documentation or evidence related to this case is exempt from release.”

Mr Feldman has long alleged Hollywood figures molested young actors, including himself and Corey Haim, who died in 2010.

In November, Mr Feldman, who starred in The Goonies, accused his former assistant and co-star Jon Grissom of sexually abusing him.

The news comes at a time of heightened awareness of widespread sexual abuse and harassment in Hollywood, in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against film executive Harvey Weinstein, actor Kevin Spacey and others.

Time magazine recently named The Silence Breakers, described as the “individuals who set off a national reckoning over the prevalence of sexual harassment”, as its Person of the Year.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.