An investigation requested by Kobe Bryant's defense team has cleared the Eagle County sheriff and district attorney of leaking details about the sexual assault case to the media, authorities said Thursday.

""I knew all along that whatever accusations the defense team was concerned about were not coming from our department,'' Sheriff Joe Hoy told The Associated Press. ""We just do not spread leaks or allow leaks to happen.''

Bryant, 25, is charged with raping a 19-year-old employee of the ritzy Lodge & Spa at Cordillera in Eagle County on June 30. He has said the two had consensual sex and he is guilty only of adultery.

Free on $250,000 bond, the Los Angeles Lakers star faces an Oct. 9 preliminary hearing to determine whether he will stand trial.

Since the story broke in early July, there have been a number of print and broadcast media stories detailing the investigation and quoting anonymous sources. County Court Judge Frederick Gannett, who had already issued a gag order in the case, ordered the investigation by Pitkin County sheriff's officials after the defense complained.

While investigators have cleared authorities in Eagle County, it remained unclear who is leaking details to the media.