Michael Jackson released a statement Thursday chastising whoever leaked a confidential settlement showing that the pop singer paid $15.3 million to a boy he was accused of molesting in 1993.

The television network Court TV announced Tuesday that it had obtained documents from the 1994 settlement revealing Jackson agreed to fund the multi-million dollar trust for the boy, and pay millions more to the boy's parents and his attorney.

Jackson, who is currently facing charges that he molested a different boy, accused whoever released the documents of trying to sabotage his right to a fair trial in that case.

"These kinds of attacks and leaks seek to try the case in the press, rather than to a jury who will hear all of the evidence that will show that I did not, and would not, ever, harm a child," he wrote.

He also addressed the 1993 settlement, which reportedly totaled more than $23 million.

"I have always maintained my innocence, and vehemently denied that these events ever took place," he said. "I reluctantly chose to settle the false claims only to end the terrible publicity and to continue with my life and career."

The singer then made an appeal to the northern Santa Barbara County jury pool who will likely decide his fate in the current case.

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"I ask all of my neighbors in Santa Maria, the people whom I give my loyal trust and admiration, to keep an open mind, and give me a chance to show that I am completely innocent of these charges," said. "I will not let you down."

In his current case, Jackson, 45, has pleaded not guilty to engaging in lewd acts with an unnamed boy under the age of 14 on four occasions between Feb. 7 and March 20, 2003, and four counts of "administering an intoxicating agent" - reportedly wine - to help him with the alleged molestations.

He also has pleaded not guilty to a conspiracy charge involving child abduction, false imprisonment and extortion and a count of attempted child molestation.

The acts allegedly took place at the singer's Neverland Ranch near Los Olivos.

A gag order in the case forbids participants from making comments to the media without Judge Rodney Melville's permission. It could not be confirmed whether Jackson received the judge's consent before releasing the statement.

Earlier this week, a Jackson family lawyer questioned the authenticity of the documents, drawing the ire of another family representative. Jackson's statement appears to confirm the leaked documents are legitimate.

Debra Opri, a lawyer for Jackson's parents, Joe and Katherine, said she had heard that another longtime attorney for the Jackson family, Brian Oxman, contacted numerous media outlets and expressed doubts about the authenticity of the documents.

Opri said that Oxman doesn't speak for the Jackson family on these matters, and that they want to distance themselves from him.

For his part, Oxman said he simply made a phone call to Court TV's legal counsel asking for a copy of the documents so that he might authenticate them.

Opri said Jackson's parents were distressed by the leaked documents, adding that she believed only three people possessed a copy of the confidential settlement agreement.

"We knew the information in the document," Opri said. "The settlement was made as a business decision and it's my understanding that this was an insurance company settlement. They have extended (Jackson's parents) anguish for yet another piece of shock TV."

A pre-trial hearing in the Jackson case is scheduled for June 25.

* Staff writer Quintin Cushner can be reached at 739-2217 or by e-mail at qcushner@pulitzer.net.

June 18, 2004