LOS ANGELES, (AFP) - Michael Jackson, on trial for child molestation and said by prosecutors to be all but broke, denied he is seeking to sell his Beatles music catalog.

"There have been numerous reports regarding the sale, or portions thereof, of Michael Jackson's music catalog. These reports are not true," said the singer's spokeswoman Raymone Bain.

The denial came after Fox News reported that Jackson was about to sell most of his 50 percent share of the prized collection of the Fab Four's hits to pay off more than 275 million dollars debts that prosecutors say will become due by year end.

The sale of his share of the precious catalog, which he owns jointly with Sony/ATV Music and estimated to be worth around 400 million dollars, would mean all his debts could be paid off, Fox said.

In addition, the television station said, Jackson would end up liquid again with about 10 million dollars in cash from the deal.

"Michael doesn't want people to think he lost the Beatles," Fox quoted a longtime friend as saying, according to the station's website. "He wants his fans to think it was stolen from him. He has to be the victim."

Prosecutors in the star's child sex trial said in February that the star was facing a major financial debt crisis that could ruin him.

"I am informed that the defendant Michael Jackson was facing a dire financial crisis at the time of the charged offenses," they wrote in a request to have the superstar's financial records subpoenaed at his trial.

"I am also informed and believe that Michael Jackson faces a crushing amount of personal debt mounting to well over 275 million dollars which will be due and payable in December of this year," they said.

Jackson has pleaded innocent to 10 charges, including child abuse on a 13-year-old cancer survivor, plying the boy with alcohol and plotting to kidnap the boy and his family to limit the damage of bad publicity on his struggling financial empire.