Law & Order Special Victims Unit s13e11 Episode Script

Announcer: In the criminal justice system, sexually based Offenses are considered especially heinous.
In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
Good evening.
For the next two hours we will take you with us into another world.
The world of the flesh.
- Ted, I'm trying to prepare.
- I won't stay long.
Here.
For your first opening.
You have a lot of admirers.
I should take a picture for my scrapbook.
- You have a scrapbook? - Yeah.
- Seriously? - Coming to New York getting this show, I just keep thinking it's all been a dream.
This is for real, Meghan.
Most of the critics are coming tonight.
Your life will never be the same.
Break a leg.
Thanks.
How do you envision yourself? An elephant? A monkey? No.
You're a Hawk.
No one here will know you.
No one here will judge you.
Strip off your inhibitions.
See carnal pleasure and join in.
Touch the world of the flesh.
The world of the forbidden.
Lust, beauty.
When love is not madness, it is not love.
Release your darkest desires.
Taste touch Take Unleash your power.
Paolo, hurry! We're alone.
But your husband.
- Giovanni just left.
- Are you sure? Then kiss me.
I am back! Francesca, what the hell is going on? Guards, get out! Guards, out! Giovanni.
Paolo, go! Giovanni, what are you doing? She betrayed you, Giovanni.
I saw the whole thing.
No, let go of me! No! Help me! Somebody help me! Meghan! What happened? You missed the Finale.
Meghan.
Are you okay? I can't remember the last time I was on skates.
Can't remember the last time I did anything other than prep witnesses or write a pre-trial motion.
Well, this was a start.
Do it again? - Yeah.
- Benson.
Yeah.
No, I blame myself.
It's immersive theater.
I pushed the piece to be provocative and obviously Somebody just took it too far.
Whoa, slow down.
You're saying that the actress was raped on stage? - Where was the audience? - They were watching.
They thought it was part of the show.
It's Dante's Inferno kind of.
I play Francesca.
I sleep with my husband's brother Paolo.
Whoever did this to me was pretending to be Giovanni my jealous husband.
Where was the actor playing Giovanni? He's not in this scene.
It's just me and Paolo.
It's the betrayal.
A little early for you in the game, isn't it, counselor? I was in the neighborhood.
Benson with the Vic? Ambulance is on its way.
Ted Scott, director.
Detective Tutuola.
- Hello.
- So what happened? Someone in the audience got caught up in the theatrics.
Believed he was Giovanni, raping his wife in revenge.
Hold up, people in the seats get to act with the actors? There are no seats.
It's theater interactive.
The audience walks through Dante's Nine Circles of Hell.
The victim was attacked in the second circle lust.
Can you tell me what he did to you? at first, I just thought he was being weird.
Meghan, did he rape you? Yes.
Can you tell me anything about your attacker? Any kind of physicality? It all happened so fast.
He was wearing a goat mask.
Do you know his race? Was he young, was he old? He was white.
Smelled like he smoked.
Did he hold your wrists? No, that was someone else.
He was wearing a hawk mask.
I just moved here six months ago.
This is the first play that I even auditioned for.
I just I can't believe this happened to me.
Can anyone get in once the show starts? No, all the doors are covered.
Completely covered.
Okay, I'm gonna need all your box office receipts and credit card slips.
Eve, do you mind? Meghan says that her attacker was wearing a goat mask.
I take it you get those back at the end of the night.
- Yes.
- Okay, we're gonna need those.
And the ropes too.
And CSU is gonna have to comb over your sets.
We have a show tomorrow.
No, you don't.
This isn't a theater.
It's a crime scene.
Small town girl moves to the city, her first job on the stage and she gets raped.
Audience applauds.
New York is just well, this kind of thing is why the nea was gutted.
Any suspects? It was opening night, there was a full house, and everyone wore masks.
Well, that's just great.
We're tracking down everyone who bought a ticket by credit card, and so far no records, no one on the sex offenders list.
Did you talk to anybody who was in the room when it happened? None that know it happened.
It was dark.
They'd all had a few.
They thought it was part of the show.
Rape Kit's in.
There's no trauma, except for wrist abrasions.
No DNA.
It was their opening night.
Any chance it was all for publicity? This girl Meghan, she just moved here from Hennepin, Minnesota, six months ago.
She's pretty shaken up.
Well, she is an actress.
Point taken.
See if her story has changed overnight.
Liv What was that about? What, she's an actress, she's on stage, she dressed provocatively, that means she's automatically lying? No, they don't think that.
Well, something was going on.
I also know you heard it too.
I keep wanting to think that things have changed they have changed.
Compared to the way it used to be, they've changed.
I told you already.
No one I have ever known would do anything like that.
So what about somebody that knows you? A fan? Look, Meghan, from what you tell us, it sounds like he knew the play.
He timed his move.
There are guys who wait outside the stage door for an autograph.
A couple of them I think I've seen more than once.
Do you know any of their names? No.
I just smile at them.
- I'm sorry.
- It's okay.
It's my roommate.
We moved here together to be actresses.
Hey, they think it was someone stalking me.
You mean, one of your stage door johnnies? Thanks.
So have any of these guys, you know, left you messages? Tried to see you outside the theater? Every Thursday and Friday during previews, someone left red roses.
No card.
I just thought they were being sweet.
The last multiple ticket buyer Estelle Roberts.
- You think a woman did this? - I don't know.
She bought tickets four nights a week during previews.
Probably just some actor's mother.
- Dante who? - Dante's inferno.
A play called Nine Circles.
Nine Circles of Hell.
I don't know what you're talking about.
I live in hell.
I don't need to see a play about it.
A diner's card in your name was used to purchase single tickets on 12 different nights.
Well, it wasn't me.
I don't even have a diner's card.
Well, this address matches One on file at the company.
The account's been open two years, paid on time.
Anybody else live in the house, Mrs.
Roberts? My son Jason.
He doesn't have any credit cards either.
Maybe we could ask him.
- He's not home.
- Is this Jason's room? Yes, but he doesn't like strangers looking at his things.
Yeah, I can see why.
He hasn't done anything wrong.
He takes a lot of pictures of his girlfriend.
Benson and Amaro.
This is from today.
He's got Meghan's apartment Bugged.
Your son where is he now? I'll bet he's watching us right now.
Wait, this is freaking me out.
My kitchen.
My bedroom.
I don't understand.
Who took these? Do you know a Jason Roberts? Jason? Yeah, he's my I.
T.
guy.
He's also your Stalker.
He put cameras in my apartment? Meghan, how'd you meet Jason? A girl in my acting class set me up with him.
He helped me design my website.
Never even charged me.
Jason bought a ticket to the show the other night.
Did you invite him? No.
I didn't even know he was there.
So you can't tell us if he's the one who raped you.
I don't think so.
He seems so harmless.
He's kinda sweet.
He videotaped you while you slept.
While you showered.
My did you arrest him? Well, he knows that we're looking for him, but, but he hasn't been home yet.
So how do you get in touch with him email, text? I call him.
He always calls right back.
Good.
Because if you're up for it, we wanna set up a meeting with you two.
Does he know that I know about the cameras? Maybe you can convince him that it doesn't matter.
If it's too much, we'll figure out another way.
Jason, you came.
You said you needed me.
I shouldn't even be here.
The cops, they came to my apartment.
My Mom's freaking out.
I told them you're a good guy.
I wanna hear your side.
Okay, about those cameras, I can explain.
They're for security Hey, Jason.
On your feet.
You set me up? You spied on me in the shower.
What else did you do? - What are you talking about? - Like you don't know.
I didn't do anything.
I love her.
Please.
Let's talk about it at the precinct.
You look pretty.
- Hey.
- I got upset, I'm sorry.
No, it's all right.
You did Good.
Real Good.
I installed those cameras for security to make sure Meghan was safe.
From what? Slipping in the shower? She's so beautiful.
There's a lot of creeps out there.
She's trusting.
And I watch her to protect her.
So is that why you used your mommy's credit card? Saw the show 12 times? Maybe you were staking out the show, figuring when to strike.
What is everyone talking about? Jason, you may have been hiding behind a goat mask I was a donkey.
But we know you raped her.
Wait a minute, the guy in the goat mask raped her? We know what you did, Jason.
Don't even try it.
It wasn't me, I can prove it.
I took video.
I saw the whole thing.
Meghan played it as if she'd been attacked.
I thought she was just acting.
I didn't do anything.
My God.
Help me! Help! Let go! You're hurting me! No! Well, that's the upside of having a stalker.
He films your attack.
Proves Jason didn't do it.
Well, he's still on the hook for unlawful surveillance for the shower cam.
What was that sound? It sounded like electronic feedback.
- Help me! - And look.
The hand goes away and then the sound stops.
The hand goes back to her.
These guys were working together.
Maybe they're wearing an earpiece.
It's an electronic squeal.
It could be a hearing aid battery running down.
Or it could be one of those assistive listening devices that they rent out.
So I forgot to return the headset.
If I'd raped somebody, I wouldn't have left my I.
D.
At the theater.
You got out of there in a hurry.
I was on deadline.
I'm a theater critic.
If I want to assault an actress, I'd do it in print.
Besides, I find Ms.
Weller to be quite a promising ingenue.
That's funny, because your review didn't mention pinning down the ingenue.
I was participating.
Show's interactive.
You interacted in a rape.
An actual rape.
What? Yeah, you just made yourself an accomplice.
No.
No! It wasn't real.
I I thought it was all part of the act.
I swear to God! You were just waiting on your turn.
No! I got caught up in it, but nothing happened.
Stage fright? Not like your Buddy.
I don't know who he was.
He was wearing a goat mask.
Well, did he say anything? Did you notice anything to I.
D.
him? You should really think hard.
Yes.
When he pulled her hair, he was wearing cuff links.
I only saw one.
It was engraved with the word "Sustained.
" Please tell me we can charge this guy.
He admitted acting in concert on a rape.
He admitted to not knowing she was being raped.
It was dark, Confusing.
Yeah, I'm not so impressed with that defense.
Well, you don't think it's possible that this guy was just clueless.
He should've known better.
I'll call the D.
A.
Okay, the theater handed out Let's see if those cuff links can narrow it down.
Gotcha.
Here's something.
Sustained/overruled cuff Links.
Popular gift for lawyers.
- We cross-referenced the names of ticket holders who are member of the New York City Bar Association.
Turns out there were eight lawyers in the audience that night.
Including Judge Gerald Crane.
Well, that's fantastic.
This case just keeps getting better and Better.
Fits the description.
I know this guy.
He smokes like a chimney.
But if the judge was planning on raping an actress, why buy a ticket with his own credit card? Do me a favor.
Go to him first, rule him out, and then apologize.
And, Amaro, let Benson do the talking.
Yes? Detectives.
Please come in.
I'm due on the bench in two minutes, so forgive me while I gather myself.
Nice cuff Links.
Yes, thank you.
I'm difficult to shop for, so now I have all of them.
Gavels, scales Sustained, overruled.
What I could really use is "Sit down" And "Shut up.
" But you didn't come here to talk about cuff links.
How can I help? Four nights ago, you attended a performance of Nine Circles.
I did.
It was very creative.
I recommend it.
Now did you know there was a rape in the theater that night? No.
No, that's terrible.
Backstage? It was, uh, during the show, actually.
On the lust set.
The victim played Francesca.
Yeah, the perp wore a goat mask.
Your honor, I'm, uh I'm sure that you have an explanation.
Better an admission.
It was me.
But it wasn't rape.
Meghan wanted it.
That is to say that she arranged the entire thing.
It was her fantasy.
Meghan Weller has been emailing my client for weeks, detailing the sexual encounter she initiated.
Now the judge has proclivities.
I know, I was married to the man for ten years.
But he's no rapist.
- Your ex-wife is representing you on a rape charge.
There is no rape charge because there was no rape.
Can everyone Stop saying rape? Okay, judge Crane, the young woman is making serious Allegations.
Then it's a shakedown.
Has she contacted you? No, but there's no other explanation.
She set the whole thing up.
I was invited there to satisfy her.
So where did you two meet? They met through the Sugarbabyz website.
You've heard of it.
Wealthy older men looking for young women to exploit.
Who's being exploited here? Either it was a mutual fantasy or she's using my client's pension for kinky sex to set him up.
Role playing is healthy for consenting adults.
- Did you pay Meghan? - Never got that far.
We only met that night onstage.
She said in the email that she wanted our first time to be a stranger rape fantasy.
Told me where to go, when, what she'd be wearing.
That she wanted it quick, rough, and public.
Look, she claims that she fought you.
And she wrote in this email, dated five days ago, "if I resist, it only means I want you more.
" We had a safe word.
Dixie.
If it went too far, she'd say it.
She didn't.
Well, maybe because she was scared.
You were pulling her hair.
Someone else is holding her wrists.
For all I know, she emailed that guy too.
I'm telling you the truth.
Why would I risk arrest? My reputation? All due respect, judge, you were having sex in a public theater.
If I thought for a moment that it went too far, I would've stopped.
I don't enjoy hurting women.
Whatever story this actress told you, she wants money or publicity.
Maybe she's just being dramatic.
She believes that she was raped.
So whatever he believed your client still May be guilty of sexual assault.
Good luck getting the D.
A.
onboard.
Ingenue seeking patron.
So the judge is telling the truth.
She has a profile on a website.
It doesn't mean that she solicited her own assault.
Okay, somebody tell me how this website's still legal.
Isn't this prostitution? Yeah, but the girls never name a price.
There's no direct sex-for-cash agreement.
These girls are still transacting sex for financial support.
Sounds like a lot of marriages I know.
All right, look, we've got a sitting judge with An impeccable reputation and no history of prior bad behavior claiming he was set up.
Now maybe this girl played him and us.
If she wanted to blackmail the judge, wouldn't she have gone straight to him instead of calling the police? And if the judge wanted to work out some kinks, There are easier ways.
I mean, why chance destroying his career? Seriously? The guy likes risks.
Doesn't mean he's a rapist.
I wouldn't put anything past Jason.
And Meghan and the judge, they could both be victims.
All right, first step, see if Meghan can explain these emails.
"I want you to take me from behind While everyone watches and no one knows.
" God.
Well, you don't think I wrote that.
Judge Gerald Crane says you two have been emailing for weeks.
I have never heard of a Gerald Crane.
Is he the one he claims that you asked him to have sex with you during the performance.
Why would he say that? So this is not your Gmail account? No.
I still use my college email.
Did you ever set up a profile on a website called Sugarbabyz? I don't even know what that is.
That is you.
Well, yeah, but "Ingenue seeking patron.
Let me give you a private audition.
" No, I didn't write that! I didn't put up a profile.
You don't believe me, do you? We do believe you.
We're just trying to figure out what's going on.
Same as you, Meghan.
That is my photo, but I didn't put it up on that website.
That picture? That's not from me.
If I was gonna set up Meghan, I've got images that are a lot hotter.
See? Really? Jason, you just made bail on a surveillance charge.
What kinda camera is that? Is that motion activated? With custom installed night vision.
Motion activated's terrific until she gets a cat.
- You adjust the floor-to-ceiling parameters.
Guys, guys, guys! We're here to talk about these emails.
Meghan says she didn't set up that account.
Meghan can barely figure out how to turn her laptop on.
Pretty adorable.
- So you set it up.
- No, I did not.
Did you check the ip address to see where the emails originated? Please.
Cafe Gansevoort.
Across the street from the theater.
Which is pretty convenient for you seeing as you saw the show Gimme the dates, gimme the times and we'll clear all this up right now.
- Okay, three weeks ago.
Tuesday, 11:50 P.
M.
The following Thursday, And so on and so forth.
Those times well, as you can see, I was otherwise engaged.
Man, you were rubbing your mother's feet? - Thursday night at 7:06.
These cameras really are for security.
The emails were sent from Cafe Gansevoort.
Jason has an alibi.
Does anybody else from the production go there? We all do.
Have you had any issues with other actors? Maybe someone in the crew.
No.
We were all a family.
How about dating history? Maybe a relationship didn't end well? No.
All my exes are friends.
Some of them sent me flowers opening night.
Judge Crane was either at a fundraiser or lecturing on privacy law at Hudson U.
Every time an email was sent.
Cafe Gansevoort any help? No security cameras.
Cash only.
including almost everybody from the theater.
- It could've been one of her co-workers.
This girl grew up sheltered.
She might not even recognize a predator.
Maybe Jason's cameras did.
Kiss me.
- Ted! - What? Look, the scene calls for a visceral response.
You crave his hands on your body, his lips on your lips.
I know, I I just wasn't expecting your tongue in my mouth.
I played the moment, okay? Which is exactly what you should be doing on the stage.
Right, right.
Let's try it again.
Kiss me.
That's her director Ted Scott.
He's been over to Meghan's apartment eight times in the last two months for this scene work.
Okay, so he sets up his star actress to be raped.
To what end? For the publicity.
The rape story comes out yesterday.
The ticket sales are through the roof now.
- So he gets a two-for? He gets back at Meghan for turning him down and his ticket sales spike up? And the judge? Collateral damage.
Maybe not.
I found out that Crane presided over Ted's first divorce ten years ago and it ended pretty nasty.
No, it's all still circumstantial.
Is there anything anything tying him to the emails? I think so.
I did a comparative statement analysis.
I took Ted's press release and the rapist's email and they both use British spelling and grammar.
So it's like, "theatre" With An "R-e.
" um, and "Towards" Instead of toward.
You know, subjunctive tense.
And then there's this little coincidence.
Dixie? That was judge Crane's role play safe word.
It's also the name of Ted's first New York play.
Jeez, the director, the I.
T.
guy, the judge just pick your pervert.
Well, a pretty girl, New to New York City, every guy she met saw her as easy prey.
Can I ask you something? How long have you worked SVU? Don't ask! No, it's just, how do you trust any man, ever, after working this job day in, day out? I trusted my partner.
Yeah, okay.
I haven't given up hope.
There are good guys still out there.
- Giovanni just left.
- Are you sure? Then kiss me.
Francesca, what the hell's going on? Guards, get out! Giovanni no! - Guy can't help himself.
- Do you mind? This is not the best time.
We're in the middle of a blocking rehearsal.
Yeah, I can see that.
Your actress gets attacked, and you use it in your show? I draw inspiration from life.
I'm going for the Meta.
No, you're not.
And you're missing your show tonight.
I adore Meghan.
I would never hurt her.
She doesn't adore you.
No, she doesn't.
You got this all wrong.
If if I staged a rape for every actress who ever slapped me down, we would be here all night.
Not helping.
Ted and how did how did I do this? Okay, so you're a regular at Cafe Gansevoort? Yes.
It's across the street from the theater.
Ever use their computers? No, I drink their coffee.
It's wonderful.
Why? Because Somebody Impersonating Meghan set her up to be raped.
They used "Dixie" As a safe word.
Wait.
What? And then they posted a fake profile of her on the Sugarbabyz website.
And then they tricked this man, who just so happens to be the judge who presided over your divorce, to actually rape her.
Okay, wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
Just slow down for one second here.
Don't you see what this is? This isn't about Meghan.
This is about me.
Meghan was the one who was raped.
Yes, and that is horrible.
But but don't you get it? My divorce judge.
I have an account on Sugarbabyz.
Dixie was my play.
I am the victim here.
I am the one who is being set up.
- By who? - I don't know.
There's a lot of jealous people in the theater world.
All right, we came in to cooperate, but this doesn't seem I'm a director.
I have control issues.
I obsess over details.
Yet I was nowhere near the set where Meghan was attacked.
Now, doesn't that tell you people anything? I don't see enough to charge Ted Scott with rape one.
And I'm not charging a sitting judge with anything until we have a clear chain of the crime.
Crane confessed.
We have 300 other justices watching us to see how we treat this judge who's being targeted, potentially because of how he presided over another case.
It looks like Crane was used, just like Meghan, by Ted.
Until you can prove that, I can't charge any of the players.
We hear you, counselor.
Thanks.
Keep me posted.
She's leaving? Yeah, Well, everything linking Ted to the rape is circumstantial.
Okay, can we just take a step back? If Ted did set this up, how would he know that the judge would go for a public rape fantasy? They were both members of the Sugarbabyz website.
So maybe they shared fetish stories.
Or Maybe they shared a sugar baby.
Meghan didn't send me these emails? We don't think so, no.
Then I did rape her.
God.
Gerald, you didn't know.
Your honor, at some point the D.
A.
Will have to file charges.
Because charging me is the only way you can charge the real perp.
It's kafkaesque.
Do you have any suspects? Ted Scott.
He's Meghan's director.
You presided over his divorce ten years ago.
Any way that he's angry with you and trying to get back at you? Is someone who stood in front of me in a divorce court angry? They're all angry.
Have you ever been in touch with Ted? Maybe through Sugarbabyz.
You're both premiere members.
Did you attend any of their events? No.
No, I just correspond with the young women.
You dated a series of sugar babies.
Is it possible that you and Ted have any of these women in common? It's possible.
Why? The emails that were supposedly sent by Meghan were, designed to appeal to your fantasy.
Details that only somebody that you've been intimate with would know.
So you want to go through my dirty laundry hamper.
You don't have to agree to this, Gerald.
Someone committed a crime.
I want whoever's responsible to be brought to justice.
All right, Dina who's in front of a hotel room window at the standard.
She was more of an exhibitionist, that is.
Less of a rape fantasy.
Keep going.
Lisa wanted me to break into her room, middle of the night, attack her.
She was concerned anybody might find out, so we kept in touch.
Did anyone want to role play a rape with you in a public place? Yes, there was one a bit plain.
And it was not her fantasy, it was mine.
- Okay.
- Yeah.
Role play took place in the dressing room at Bergdorf's while she was trying on lingerie.
I would burst in Hold on.
May I? When did you and she have your date? Six weeks ago, maybe.
She wrote back, wanted to get together.
And two weeks later, you and Meghan started emailing.
Yes.
The day that she posted her profile, I wrote I was intrigued.
Okay.
We're gonna need all your correspondence with her.
Sure.
Well, they're all in that iPad.
I'll leave it with you.
I'll rely on your discretion Yes.
- On all this.
- Absolutely.
Thank you very much for coming in, your honor.
I sincerely hope it's of help.
Lot going on under those robes.
What do you got? This is Meghan's roommate, Holly Schneider.
Well, that can't be a coincidence.
Meghan.
You're leaving the show.
I just want to go home.
It was always safe there.
We think we might have found out who set you up.
Your director, Ted.
Ted? But I don't un I thought he liked me.
We saw the way he behaved on the surveillance cameras.
He could be a little handsy, but Meghan, he took advantage of you.
So you were there, right, Holly, when Ted was around? Yeah.
Always.
I asked her to be there.
So you know Ted too, then.
A little.
From the theater.
And also from Sugarbabyz, right? We know you went out on some dates with Ted.
I mean, that's how you met, isn't it? What? Holly? Your roommate didn't tell you? Yeah, she's a big star on that site.
Why would you do that? - I had to pay the rent.
- But Sugarbabyz someone put a fake profile of me on that site.
Yeah.
Ted.
Yeah, we're not so sure about that, Holly.
What do you mean? We know about you and judge Crane.
His rape fantasies.
You and him in the Bergdorf Goodman dressing room.
Holly, what are they talking about? That wasn't anything.
I needed money.
Right.
Because your dad doesn't pay your bills.
I would have helped you.
Just like you helped her when you got this role in the play.
Not you.
Isn't that right, Holly? I thought you were okay with that.
You worked so hard.
Hours of rehearsal sleeping with the director.
Is that what he said? You slept with Ted? Holly, you didn't have to do that.
Yeah, I did.
No, but you're a better actor than me you always were.
But that was never enough.
Right, Holly? I get it.
You know, I'm from a small town too.
I come up here to the city, I think things Are gonna be different, my life's gonna change.
You don't get it! You're like Meghan.
How long have you been in New York? And you're already a detective? You're just like her.
Everything just handed to you.
Guys jumping up to help you, nice apartments, upgrades to first-class.
All you have to do is show up.
And you get the part.
It was my audition! She just came to help me run lines, and as soon as Ted saw her, he wanted her.
And you didn't say no.
Do you know what I had to do for that audition? Down on my knees with that pig, and with Crane and all those guys.
And I am so tired of being the ugly duckling.
And I wanted you to know what it felt like to feel dirty and used.
To want to give up.
Holly I thought you were my friend.
You had someone rape me! It's about time something bad happened in your life.
Don't you think? Okay.
I didn't see or hear a shred of remorse.
With all the abusive men in her life, and Meghan's betrayed by a woman.
Didn't see it coming.
Yeah, it's hard enough out there.
You'd like to think that We could look out for each other.
Good night.
Get home safe.