Michael Jackson's private eye goes public

Last week, the jury began hearing from the family of Jackson's young accuser. NBC's Chief Legal Correspondent Dan Abrams interviews a private eye who's now going public about the character and credibility of that family. But as you'll see, there are those who say his own role in the case, raises questions about his credibility.

In a Web site statement Michael Jackson said: "Years ago, I allowed a family to visit and spend some time at Neverland.

And so it began. The heart of the case -- what happened at Neverland when a young boy with cancer and his family spent time with Michael Jackson?

Michael Jackson has said: "These events have caused a nightmare for my family, my children and me. I never intend to place myself in so vulnerable a position again."

Exactly what did Michael Jackson mean by vulnerable?

For the first time, a potential witness speaks out about Michael Jackson's accusers -- a family he saw up close, a family that describes him as “a terrible guy, an enforcer for the king of pop.”

His name is Bradley Miller. He's a Los Angeles private eye whose role in the case begins in the winter of 2003, when he says Jackson's attorney at the time, Mark Geragos, hired him.

His job, he says, was to monitor the family of the boy who appeared in the now famous British documentary, “Living with Michael Jackson” -- the same boy who would tell authorities months later that Jackson molested him. Miller says he got the call from Geragos just days after the documentary aired.

Dan Abrams: Why did he want you to get involved?

Bradley Miller: Apparently, this family had been up at Neverland with Michael and had made some threats of making up some story and contacting some tabloids.

Abrams: So you're saying before any of these allegations were made, that Michael Jackson was worried that there were going to be false allegations made?

Miller: I think he had come to the realization that they were probably capable of just about anything.

According to Miller, the family had left Neverland after the uproar surrounding the documentary, and his job was to keep an eye on them.

Abrams: And so are they sending the private eye out there to monitor them? Make sure they don't do anything?

Miller: Well, it certainly wasn't to control them in anyway. It was to just keep a real, loose watch on who they were meeting with and what they were doing.

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Miller says that the family made it clear that they knew about a previous allegation against Michael Jackson.

In 1993, a 13-year-old boy accused Jackson of molesting him. Jackson has denied ever harming a child, but he settled a civil suit with the boy's family for millions without admitting any wrongdoing -- information Miller says the current accuser's mother was ready to use to her advantage.

Miller: She made it clear that she better get what she wants.

Abrams: Or?

Miller: She would have to go to the tabloids or to whoever would listen.

Abrams: Did she ever tell you what she might say to the tabloids?

Miller: Not specifically. No.

Abrams: What did she suggest?

Miller: She would suggest that it would be harmful to Michael and his reputation. 

Abrams: You think the boy was up to that, or just his mother?

Miller: From what I understand, the boy, apparently, is also, or was, very much aware of the 1993 case.

Abrams: So you think the 13 year old suffering from cancer is thinking about the big pay out from Michael Jackson?

Miller: This family, every conversation I had with them, every meeting I had with them, any interaction with them, centered around either money, fame, celebrity and/or possessions.

But Miller didn't name any tabloids the mother had tried to sell a story to. And he says he soon had another mission: get the family on the record.

Miller: We then decided that before this goes any further, perhaps it's time to get a sworn statement from them stating what the circumstances were -- to have some record that in the future, if there were any allegations made, we would have something to refute it.

Abrams: You wanted a sworn statement just in case?

Miller: Just in case -- almost like an insurance policy.

Miller says he called the accuser's mother a few days after the documentary aired and made arrangements to meet her to take an audio-taped statement about what had happened -- or had not happened -- at Neverland.

Miller: I went over to the apartment of the mother's boyfriend in Los Angeles. And was welcomed, hugged, by every member of the family.

Abrams: Were they intimidated?

Miller: I was intimidated. I was going to a strange place. Nine o'clock at night, to an apartment where I knew no one.

According to Miller, the mother never asked why it was necessary to make the tape.

Abrams: You asked them, specifically, did anything sexual ever happen?

Miller: I believe I asked if they were ever inappropriately touched or anything along those lines.

Abrams: And their answers were unequivocal?

Miller: Unequivocal.

Abrams: What did the mother say?

Miller: Michael would never do anything like that.

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