The Santa Barbara Sheriff's department has denied being the source of those leaked grand jury documents relating to the ongoing Michael Jackson child abuse case. As previously reported,
US TV network ABC earlier this month reported on the testimony
Jacko's accuser gave to the grand jury investigating the case
- a testimony which was covered by Judge Rodney Melville's strict media gag order.
In a statement issued this week Santa Barbara Sheriff's department
- the prosecutors in the Jacko case - said that they considered the leak of the testimony a violation of the law, that they were investigating the leak, and that media reports someone in their department was responsible for the leak was untrue.
Their statement ran thus: "We consider the release of these materials to be a violation of the law. Some media commentators have alleged that we are responsible for these leaks. We are not. These accusations are irresponsible, unfounded and untrue."