The network cited "many sources" as having seen the arrest warrant for Jackson when authorities swooped down on his ranch near Santa Barbara, California, on Tuesday.

The search continued overnight into Wednesday, NBC said. Police said they would announce details of the search at 11:00 am (1900 GMT) Wednesday.

Jackson family lawyer Brian Oxman confirmed reports that the raid was sparked by new child abuse allegations against the 45-year-old father of three.

"The search warrant that was served at Neverland ranch early yesterday morning indicated that there was a 12-year-old boy who was a complaining witness concerning sexual molestation accusations," Oxman told NBC.

"We don't know the identity of the child, we don't know the specifics of the accusations, and to all intents and purposes, we simply are investigating this and we do not know what it is all about at this point," he added.

The highly publicized swoop -- which took place while Jackson was reportedly filming a video in Las Vegas -- reignited suspicions that have been swirling around the singer since he was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy 10 years ago.

Between 60 and 70 investigators armed with a search warrant flooded the sprawling estate near Santa Barbara at 8:30 am (1630 GMT) Tuesday, Senior Sheriff's Deputy Tim Gracey told AFP.

The raid coincided with Jackson's release of "Number One," his first album since "Invincible" flopped last year.

Police and press vehicles gathered outside his classical-style mansion, which is surrounded by a children's zoo and theme park rides which "Jacko" opens to local children once a year.