Law & Order Special Victims Unit s26e15 Episode Script
Undertow
1
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.
Thank you.
Billy, are you crazy?
This is too much.
Well, it's our anniversary.
How are we gonna afford this?
You let me worry about that.
Hey.
- Can I help you?
- Yeah, checking in.
Last name Moran.
Okay.
Mr. and Mrs. Moran,
we've got you in a king suite
with a view of the park.
A king suite?
How about we stop worrying
about it, and start enjoying it?
Room 508.
Elevators are around
the corner to the left.
- Enjoy your stay.
- Thanks.
$120 for a ribeye?
Seriously, don't worry.
I'll put it on the card.
Excuse me.
Can my wife get a pinot grigio?
And you know what?
I will take a Macallan 12, neat.
You got it.
Hey, come on.
We're celebrating, right?
You've been sober for six months.
You were so proud of that.
Well, this is a special occasion,
and no one's driving.
It's just one drink, Stacey.
Hmm?
[CORK POPS]
Babe, trust me, you've had enough.
I'm not even drunk.
- Please.
- No, come on.
Okay.
Baby, come here.
- I love you so much.
- No.
You look so pretty.
- Come here.
- No.
- No.
- Yeah, come here.
No. No!
Hey.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
Baby, come on.
- See you later.
- Hey, come back.
Baby.
Ugh.
♪
Vodka soda, please.
Sure.
I didn't see you at the wedding.
There's a wedding here?
Can't you hear that
cheesy '90s music?
- Brian.
- Stacey.
Who got married, a friend of yours?
Um, my dad, actually.
Third time.
Speaking as someone
who's only been married once,
believe me, I get it.
- Where are we going?
- Follow me.
Come on, come on.
Are you sure we're
allowed to be here?
Door was open.
Don't worry about it.
I was here last night.
Come on.
[MUFFLED POP MUSIC]
♪
Did you go skinny
dipping last night too?
No, I'll just wear my boxers.
[LAUGHS] Okay.
Turn around.
I don't think you can return
the dress after the wedding.
[CHUCKLES]
I'm taking it to the cleaners
on my way into work.
And I need to bring Ryan's
tux back to the rental place
before they charge us for another day.
Is he in his room?
Still eating breakfast, I think.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
What are you doing?
Where did those come from?
- Happy Monday.
- Good morning, Captain.
So where are we on this guy
who's been taking creeper shots
of people in porta-potties?
Caught him last night,
chest deep in blue filth.
After unis hosed him off,
they recovered his phone.
I'll spare you the evidence photos.
Oh, thank you.
I'll be in my office.
You want me to get this?
No, I'll take it.
Good morning. I'm Captain Benson.
How can I help you?
- This is my stepson, Ryan.
- Hi.
Saturday night,
at a hotel in the city,
a woman pressured him into having sex.
It wasn't exactly like that.
Ryan, you were taken advantage of.
Please, let me do the talking.
We're here to report an assault.
Okay, so I'll need
a few more details.
Here's the only detail you need.
He's 16 years old.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
Okay.
Follow me.
♪
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
So this woman was
older than you, Ryan?
Yeah, that's right.
So how old would you say?
I don't know.
- 30, maybe.
- Okay.
Can you tell us what happened?
Ryan?
Look, I get it.
You don't wanna say something
that might get
someone else in trouble.
And maybe maybe it's somebody
that you're close with.
We're not close. It
was just a one-night thing.
Oh, okay.
So how did you and
this older woman meet?
At a hotel bar.
Ryan's father and I were married
Saturday night at the Atelier.
Ryan must have left
the reception early,
and they served him
alcohol at that hotel bar.
- They served me at the wedding too.
- Well, they weren't supposed to.
Dad lets me drink
beer at home sometimes.
- Not anymore.
- Mrs. Perry,
how about you
and I go speak in my office?
He will be in good hands
with Detective Bruno.
Come with me.
Hey.
I know you don't wanna be here,
but, you're under the age of consent,
so, you're not just a kid in
the eyes of your stepmom.
You're a kid to the law.
I'm gonna ask you point-blank.
Did you have sex
with this older woman?
And what's your relationship
with Ryan been like?
He's a teenager, and
I'm his second stepmother.
But, he must trust you if he
told you something like this.
He only told me what happened
after I found these
in his suit jacket.
Okay, I'm gonna need
to take those to the lab.
- Fine by me.
- Okay.
Do you have any idea
who they belong to?
- Maybe a guest at your wedding?
- Absolutely not.
Whoever she was, she
took advantage of Ryan.
May I ask where Ryan's
biological mother is in all of this?
She died of breast cancer
when he was just a toddler.
So this woman at the bar,
you never got her full name?
Just Stacey.
You two were drinking together?
- Who was buying?
- She was.
Okay.
Then what did you two do?
Uh, we decided to explore the hotel.
We ended up at the pool.
Whose idea was that?
Both of ours.
Then what happened?
We started kissing and,
I mean, we were both a little drunk.
And then?
We moved to the hot tub and
You know
Had sex.
You tell her you were 16?
- She didn't ask.
- Okay.
What happened after the sex?
We both fell asleep on
two lawn chairs by the pool.
So you stayed there all night?
Yeah, when we woke
up, we got dressed and left.
How'd you end up with her panties?
I I was gonna give them back,
but she was in a hurry to
just get out of there, so
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
You happen to get her number
or where she was visiting from?
♪
So what have we got here?
16-year-old kid who
doesn't think he's a victim.
Well, he's about to be educated.
So what's next?
A uni is taking Ryan and
his mother to the hospital
to do a rape kit.
Okay, was he able
to identify the woman?
Just a first name Stacey.
Well, there's gotta be
some record of her at the hotel.
Well, Ryan did say she
bought drinks at the bar.
Then she either used her credit card
- or charged it to the room.
- Right.
So canvass the hotel
and start with the bar.
Excuse us.
What can I get you?
We're on the clock.
Were you working Saturday night?
I'm here every night.
You recognize this guy?
Yeah. He was here at the bar.
Well, he's only 16.
He certainly didn't look it.
The lady he was with
bought all the drinks.
Okay. What can
you tell us about her?
White, brown hair.
How'd she pay?
I asked her if she
wanted to put it on the room,
but she gave me her card.
We're gonna need a
copy of those receipts.
Security footage too.
Am I in any kind of trouble?
Not if you keep cooperating.
All right, here they
are leaving the bar.
And this is them 20 minutes
later, approaching the pool.
Is this the best angle we have?
The hotel is still going through it.
This is what they sent us so far.
Then Ryan and Stacey leave together
about five hours later.
Ryan corroborated the timeline.
And no security cameras
inside the pool area?
None that we found.
Were we able to ID this woman?
Yeah, her name is Stacey Moran
from Union, New Jersey.
A 28-year-old sixth
grade teacher, married.
All right, so let's take a
drive out to New Jersey,
talk to Stacey,
without her husband in the room.
Stacey Moran?
- That's me. Can I help you?
- Hi, I'm Captain Benson,
and this is Captain Curry from
Manhattan Special Victims Unit.
Manhattan?
What brings you out here?
Well, we're just following
up on an investigation.
Were you at the
Atelier Saturday night?
Yes, with my husband.
Why?
Do you know him?
- He looks familiar.
- Yeah.
I mean, we know that the two
of you were together in the bar.
Can you tell me what this is about?
Hey, what's
What's going on?
Mr. Moran?
Yeah.
Who are you?
We're from the NYPD.
We're looking into an
incident that happened
at the Atelier this past weekend.
Well, we were there.
Why? What happened?
Well, can we
Can we talk inside?
Yeah.
Billy and I were at the hotel
to celebrate our anniversary,
but, to be honest, he got
really drunk, so I left him.
And went down to the bar,
and that's when you met Ryan.
He was there, by himself.
I mean, we had a few drinks together.
And then what?
I think, at one point,
we snuck into the pool
and went swimming.
Was that all?
Why are you asking me about this?
I'm not proud of it,
but after Stacey left
the room, I passed out.
Why did she leave?
She was pissed at me.
Why, did she say I
did something wrong?
- No, Mr. Moran.
- Then why are you here?
Because I'll tell you right now,
I don't know anything
about any incident.
Look, Mrs. Moran,
I understand that you
may not want your husband
to know what happened,
but, there's been an accusation.
- From the hotel?
- No, from Ryan Perry.
Did you know that he was 16 years old?
♪
That's not possible.
He was at the bar. He
had a drink in his hand.
Right, and he is a
sophomore in high school,
and he claims that
the two of you had sex.
Stacey, what is this?
- What did you tell them I did?
- No, nothing.
- This isn't about you.
- Then what's going on?
Well, I think it's best if I
talk to your wife in private.
- Why? I don't understand.
- Billy.
They're saying I
I had sex with someone
Wait.
Sex? What?
But I swear to you, I
don't remember any of it.
I must have blacked out.
I think it would be
better if we spoke
about this in the precinct.
Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait.
Just
Just tell me what happened.
I I had a double
vodka soda at the bar.
I don't remember much after that.
Is that usual,
for you to have a
strong drink and then not,
- not remember anything?
- No.
So you were blacked out at the bar,
and this guy was there?
♪
I know my wife.
She would never do anything like this.
She was taken advantage of.
All right, Mr. Moran.
Let us handle this.
What, you call this handling it?
Okay, Mrs. Moran,
I need you to come with
us to the station, okay?
No, no, no, not without me, okay?
Or a lawyer.
I'm calling my brother, Grant.
No, I don't want that.
- And I don't need a lawyer.
- Yeah, you do.
My wife was raped.
♪
So Stacey Moran,
a New Jersey school teacher, allegedly
had sex with Ryan Perry,
16, in a Midtown hotel hot tub?
Who reported this?
- Ryan's stepmother.
- Okay.
- What's Mrs. Moran say?
- Well.
She says that they
were drinking,
but claims she doesn't
remember much after that.
Her side, after the
husband found out.
Well, it doesn't matter.
She's in her 20s. He's 16.
So any chance that this
kid is just embellishing?
Her DNA's on the rape
kit under the foreskin.
Hard to embellish that.
What were they both
doing at the hotel?
Well, he was there for
his father's third wedding,
and she was there
celebrating her fifth anniversary.
She's got a novel
way of celebrating it.
So, she claims that she didn't
know that he was underage.
What about Ryan?
Is he claiming force or coercion?
No, he only told his stepmother
after she found Stacey's
underwear in his tuxedo coat.
The stepmother filed the complaint,
and due to his age,
we had to take it seriously.
What about this
woman? Any history there?
No, she is a highly
respected teacher
working at the same
school for five years.
Not one single complaint.
Well, we gotta get her
lawyer to agree to a plea deal.
This guy's gotta be halfway decent.
You know he's got a billboard
off exit 141 in New Jersey?
That and he's
Stacey's brother-in-law.
This just keeps getting
better and better.
I swear, I didn't know he was 16.
He was drinking in the hotel bar.
My client is the victim here.
Well, I'm sorry, Mrs.
Moran, but the fact
that you didn't know his age
is not a legal defense.
She was incapacitated.
So, I'd like to hear more about that.
Like I said earlier, I had
a few drinks at the bar.
They must have hit me
harder than I realized.
Again, legally,
that's not an excuse.
It was if she was blacked out.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Stacey
Were you blacked out?
Before the pool, he handed
me a small bottle of vodka.
After a few sips, I felt like
Like nothing I felt before.
How so?
Uninhibited and high.
But not blacked out.
That's not what she's saying.
Who knows what he gave her?
She may have been drugged.
Mr. Moran, we don't know
if he gave her anything yet.
Not to mention his tolerance.
Despite his age, he
has at least 30 pounds,
- a foot of height on her.
- Stacey, did he
Did he force you in any way?
No, but he looked like a man.
If I knew his age, I never
would have even talked to him.
Okay, we understand
that this is, uh, complicated.
But regardless of how
you might feel about it,
this was a criminal act.
Oh, you're not seriously
gonna charge her with anything.
♪
Due to the circumstances,
we can offer her a plea.
Misdemeanor sexual
misconduct, no jail time.
One thing is certain.
She's not going on the registry.
I'm a teacher.
I'd lose my whole life.
Unfortunately, in a case like this,
the registry is mandatory.
♪
What am I gonna do?
♪
My client needs a tox screen.
And a rape kit.
♪
Stacey.
Grant, you fix this or what?
The situation is ongoing.
Well, can I take her home?
Your wife is facing
potential charges, Mr. Moran.
Billy, they're saying I'm the rapist.
- What?
- I have to go.
Wait. Where are they taking you?
Your wife will be escorted to
the hospital to get some tests.
Well, I'm going with her then.
- No.
- No.
Okay, you take Mrs. Moran
to the hospital, please.
And then what?
Then, when you're
finished, we will talk.
This isn't right. This
isn't this isn't fair.
Billy. Hey, hey. Let
me take you home, okay?
We're gonna figure this out.
So what are we looking at?
Two drowning people
trying to save themselves
from a night of bad choices.
Hey, any leeway from the eighth floor?
We cannot charge a
misdemeanor sex crime
without her going on the registry.
She doesn't take this
deal, I'm gonna have
to indict and arraign her.
Where she'll plead not guilty.
Then we're gonna go to trial.
But if the tox screen comes back,
and shows that Stacey
was indeed drugged,
she may have been
incapable of consent.
Well, you know who else
is incapable of consent?
- The 16-year-old kid.
- Give me a break.
Ryan didn't even wanna come forward.
Look, Curry has a point.
It was his stepmother that
pushed the whole thing forward.
This woman's saying Ryan raped her?
Well, there might be evidence
that she was incapacitated.
- From what?
- Well
They were drinking,
and she's at the hospital
right now getting a tox screen
for other substances as well.
You're blaming Ryan for
that?
Who knows what she took?
No matter what the circumstances,
we plan on pursuing
what Stacey did as a crime.
Rape.
That's what this is, right?
Well, depending on what
is found on the tox screen,
there may be other charges as well.
- Against Ryan?
- Emily, calm down.
- No, Frank.
- Listen.
How about we all take
a breath here, okay?
Our ADA is hoping to resolve
all of this with a plea deal.
A deal? Is she gonna take it?
I think, right now, the thing
that she's most focused on is
Is staying off the sex registry.
Well, she should
have thought of that
- before she raped our son.
- Okay.
But you should know
that if this moves forward,
Ryan will have to testify.
Captain, I need a minute.
Stacey's tox screen showed
the presence of MDMA?
- Yeah.
- Is it possible that she
She took it herself, she
just didn't wanna tell us that?
She doesn't strike
me as a drug user.
And public school teachers
get regular drug testing.
I mean, Carisi, it is possible,
that he slipped it to her?
Well, he's claiming he didn't have
any drugs on him that night.
Well, the lab can't prove either way,
- how she ingested the drugs.
- Okay.
I can at least get a search
warrant for Ryan's room.
But if he did give Stacey MDMA
and he didn't tell her about it,
it's gonna play in
her favor with the jury.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
I swear, Dad, I don't do drugs.
Then you have
nothing to worry about.
♪
Except, maybe these.
Why do I get the feeling
these aren't multivitamins?
You should know Stacey
Moran tested positive for MDMA.
That's not what that is.
As much as we'd like to believe you,
that's what the kit's for.
- It's turning purple.
- What does that mean?
That means this is MDMA.
Ryan, where did you get these?
I told you, they aren't mine.
- What happens now?
- Your son's under arrest.
- What?
- Turn around.
You had to drag me to Manhattan
- to talk to the police.
- I was trying to protect you.
- Well, nice job, Emily.
- Wait, wait, wait.
- Where are you taking him?
- We're booking him on drug charges.
And then what?
He's gonna explain exactly
how Stacey Moran ended up
with his drugs in her system.
I already told you guys
that Molly wasn't mine.
Your possession charge,
that's up to Suffolk County.
Don't waste your lies on
something we don't even care about.
Then why are we even here?
My client is a victim
of statutory rape.
Because his alleged
attacker had Molly in her system.
Which she says she didn't take.
She's obviously
the one lying to you.
Is that true, Ryan?
We're gonna find out
one way or the other.
Doing drugs isn't
the end of the world.
But lying on the stand is.
I'm asking you to trust me.
I do.
Then the way to show that
is by shooting me straight right now.
All right, okay.
Stacey's not lying.
So, how did MDMA
end up in her system?
I kind of crushed some pills
and put it in a fifth of vodka.
- Ryan.
- It's just
It was just to get through
my dad's wedding.
Mm-hmm.
So when Stacey and
I made it to the pool,
she grabbed the bottle.
I turned around, and she took a sip.
Did you tell her it was Molly?
No,
but, she said that she
wanted to have fun.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
What about what you wanted?
Where is this going?
TARU went through your phone.
Found a pretty interesting
chat,
with what looks like you and
two of your closest buddies.
How is this relevant?
Let me read some.
"I'm sick of high school girls.
"My stepmom's got some
thick-ass fire booty bridesmaids.
I'm gonna tag one of 'em tonight."
I'm assuming those
"fire booty bridesmaids,"
- they're around Stacey's age.
- Yeah.
So you see how this looks, right?
You're on the hunt
for an older woman,
you ran into one, and you drugged her.
And we are done talking.
Okay.
So what do you think?
Well, at least the
kid's finally being honest.
Well, there's a difference between
honesty and self-preservation.
A jury's bound to find
those text messages
pretty incriminating.
See, if he intentionally
neglected to tell Stacey
that he crushed up Molly
and put it in his vodka
and she wound up drinking it,
that's a felony.
Yet the problem is, there's no way
that I can prove that that
is what he intended to do.
And I don't see this kid as being
some kind of criminal mastermind.
Well, neither is Stacey.
Well, right now, she's the only one
that I can prove is guilty.
In fact, I'm due at her
arraignment in 30 minutes.
Okay, well, she can
still accept a plea deal.
Well, so far, she's not listening
to anything I have to say.
Stacey Moran, you're charged
with rape in the third degree.
How do you plead?
Not guilty, Your Honor.
- People on bail?
- 15,000, Your Honor.
For an E felony?
Given the
circumstances of this case,
we believe that amount is warranted.
This is a first offense, Your Honor.
My client is a law-abiding citizen
who just wants to clear her good name.
Be that as it may, I
agree bail is called for.
Make it 10,000.
But why are we
talking about my wife?
- He's the real criminal here!
- Order.
My son is a minor!
She's a pedophile!
- He took advantage of my wife.
- Order! Bailiff.
- Next case.
- That's enough. That's enough.
Next case, docket number 2Y3874
Stacey posted bail,
so it looks like we're going to trial.
She doesn't think
that she raped Ryan.
Look, he gave her
ecstasy without telling her.
He never offered her that bottle.
She grabbed it herself.
And the legal basis for
prosecuting a case like this
is all about the numbers.
She's 28.
He's 16.
I can't change that.
She claims that
she was incapacitated.
Believe me, her lawyer's
gonna bring that up at trial,
which is why I need
evidence that proves otherwise.
There's no witnesses?
There's no hotel security footage?
Just what you've already seen,
the two of them entering
into the pool area.
- But not the encounter in the pool.
- No.
I mean, look, there was
a couple of passersby.
They looked like they
came from the wedding.
Can we ID them?
From the back of their head.
But if we show that
footage to Ryan's parents,
then if they were
guests of the wedding
Then they might be
able to identify them.
They're both clearly drunk.
I don't know what this
is supposed to prove.
Well, we may have
found some witnesses.
You recognize those guys?
My second cousin, Thomas.
What's he doing?
Looks like he's taking a photo.
Of our son being assaulted?
Well, we won't know that
until we look at your cousin's phone.
One of the wedding
guests took this photo?
Yes, and then
sent it to his girlfriend.
- Classy.
- A one-word oxymoron.
Look, incapacitated
people can still smile.
So does this help or hurt, Counselor?
The only way to
know for sure is to get it
in front of the jury.
I was on my way back
to my room past the pool.
What did you see?
What I thought was a couple,
but what I now know
was my 16-year-old cousin
with the defendant.
They were having sex.
But you didn't recognize
your cousin Ryan at the time?
No.
I was intoxicated.
- And you took a photo.
- Yes.
People's Exhibit 1, Your Honor.
Now, how would you
describe the defendant's affect
during this sexual encounter?
She looked like she
was enjoying herself.
And did she ever seem
incapacitated in any way?
No, not at all.
Thank you, Mr. D'Angelo.
To state the obvious,
you weren't in the pool area
during this alleged attack.
No, I was just walking by.
So could you hear
what they were saying?
- No.
- Could you see under the water?
No.
So it's possible that Ryan
was holding Stacey in place.
But, she was smiling.
Have you ever seen somebody
smile out of fear, or
Nervousness before?
I guess so, yeah.
So how do you know
what kind of smile this was?
I guess I don't.
One more question.
Mr. D'Angelo, you said
you were intoxicated.
If you were intoxicated,
do you think that
you were the best judge
of my client's state of being,
not to mention her
own relative incapacity?
I guess not.
Nothing further.
We moved to the Jacuzzi
because we were getting cold.
Okay, whose idea was that?
- Hers.
- Then what?
She sat on my lap.
In what position?
Well, is she facing away from you?
Is she sitting off to the side?
- Straddling me.
- Straddling you.
So, her face towards yours, yeah?
Yes.
How'd that make you feel?
I mean, I'm only 16.
I've never had a grown
woman sit on my lap like that,
especially in her underwear.
I guess she could
tell that I was excited.
So how did this progress to sex?
Well, I was wearing
boxers, and she reached in
and just kind of, like
Just pulled it out.
Then what happened?
[SIGHS] She pushed aside her panties,
and put me inside of her.
So she was the
one who initiated sex?
Yes.
Did she ever seem incapacitated?
She was a little
drunk, but so was I.
But she did consume
alcohol from a bottle
that you had mixed with MDMA.
Yes.
Did you ever offer her that bottle?
No.
She picked it up off the ground.
And, Ryan, the night in question,
did Stacey Moran ever
once ask you your age?
No.
I tried talking to her about my life,
but, she said that she didn't
want to share sad stories.
Thank you, Ryan.
No more questions.
Well, you met Stacey
at the hotel bar, correct?
Yes.
And you had a drink in your hand.
I ordered it at the bar.
Oh, oh.
So Stacey, saw you,
sitting at the bar drinking.
After the bartender
already served you.
Seems like she wasn't the only one
who assumed you were over 21.
I guess.
And who decided to go to the pool?
We both did.
And at that point,
you were both drinking
from your small vodka
bottle that contained MDMA.
Yes.
Did you tell Stacey that
there was drugs in that vodka?
I didn't think it was
that big of a deal.
You didn't think it was a big deal?
Everybody does it.
Not Stacey Moran.
At any point during
the encounter, Ryan,
did you say "stop" or "slow down"
or indicate that you were
uncomfortable in any way?
No, not
Not really.
And did you communicate
your relative sexual inexperience?
I thought that she could tell.
Oh, she say
something to that effect?
No.
Ryan, you were looking to
get lucky that night, weren't you?
Before you answer,
can you read this?
It's Defense Exhibit A, Your Honor.
Go ahead.
Is that a text message that
you sent to two of your friends?
Yes.
Could you read that out
loud for the jury, please?
"I'm sick of high school girls."
"My stepmom's got some
thick-ass fire booty bridesmaids."
"I'm gonna tag one of 'em tonight."
"Tag one of 'em."
Based on that text,
is it fair to say that
you were looking
to have a sexual encounter
with an older woman?
Objection, relevance.
I'm going to allow.
Yes, I guess so.
And when you found
one, you slipped her drugs,
- hoping to get lucky.
- Objection, asked and answered.
Withdrawn.
Ryan
Did your stepmother find a
pair of my client's underwear
in the pocket of your
rental tuxedo jacket?
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Yes.
Did you keep it as a trophy?
No, it was an accident.
♪
I'd like to remind you
that you're under oath.
Ryan
Isn't it true
That if your stepmother
hadn't found those panties,
you never would have come forward,
and accused my client?
Objection, yeah,
Your Honor
Relevance.
I'm going to allow.
♪
No, I wouldn't have.
♪
Nothing further.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Hey.
Are you okay?
Yeah. Why?
[CHUCKLES]
You forget who you're talking to.
What's going on?
Ah, for a minute there, I just
Felt like I was watching
myself up on that stand.
When I was about 15,
my parents used to have
all these cocktail parties,
and at one of them,
our newly divorced neighbor,
Mrs. Olson,
came upstairs and
snuck into bed with me.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
I was in nothing but my boxers.
She, um, put her hand through and
Started touching me.
What did you do?
I didn't say a word.
I didn't want to embarrass her.
You tell anyone?
Yeah.
You, right now.
♪
I've been married to
Stacey for five years.
We were at the hotel
for our anniversary.
And how would you
categorize your marriage?
We're committed to each other.
Uh
It's not perfect.
It's got its ups and downs.
And that night at the hotel,
was that one of the downs?
Which is on me.
She never would have left the
room if I hadn't provoked her.
- Well, how so?
- Your Honor.
We object to this entire
line of questioning.
Relevance.
I'm going to allow.
Uh
I broke my sobriety,
which is inexcusable.
Our marriage is still in trouble,
but I hope to repair things.
It just may take a while.
And yet, you're here today,
testifying on her behalf.
Because I know my wife would never
knowingly hurt a teenage boy.
She's been a dedicated
teacher her whole career.
She made one bad choice that night,
but she does not deserve
to have her entire life ruined.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Thank you.
Mr. Moran, you just said,
"I know my wife would never
knowingly hurt a teenage boy."
But let me ask you
did you know that,
after helping you break your sobriety,
your wife would keep the party going
by heading straight to
the bar and picking up
the first guy she met?
No.
Thank you, Billy.
That's all I need.
Mr. Moran, call your next witness.
The defense calls Stacey Moran.
Ryan and I were at the bar.
I finished my drink.
When we left, we
decided to stop by the pool.
And then what happened?
We stripped down to our
underwear, got in the pool.
- We were having fun.
- And were you still drinking?
Out of a fifth of vodka
that Ryan brought with him.
And were you aware
that there was a drug
commonly called ecstasy
- dissolved into that vodka?
- No
I had no idea.
In fact, you were completely unaware
until you saw your
toxicology report, weren't you?
That's right.
So, eh
So Ryan failed to mention that.
He didn't say anything.
And had you ever
tried ecstasy before?
No.
Oh, so you didn't even
know what it felt like.
I could tell I felt good.
I thought I was just drunk.
I now know I was taken advantage of.
I was drugged.
And we heard all
about your participation.
But would you have done any of that
if you hadn't been under
the influence of drugs?
No
It was out of character for me.
Ryan was the first one to get
undressed and jump in the pool.
And then once in the
pool, what did he do?
He approached me and kissed me.
Oh, so he was the one
who initiated physical contact?
That's right.
And then who decided
to go to the hot tub?
He did.
That doesn't seem like
someone who was nervous or,
inexperienced at all, does it?
Objection, leading.
Withdrawn.
Thank you.
Mrs. Moran, when you first
encountered Ryan at the bar,
who was buying the drinks?
Ryan already had a
drink by the time I arrived.
I bought one drink for myself,
a double,
but it hit me hard.
And would you describe yourself
as being incapacitated?
I wasn't before I drank
out of Ryan's bottle of vodka.
- At the pool?
- Yes.
And yet right after
you had that drink,
you immediately
disrobed, got into the pool,
all without the assistance
or coercion from Ryan.
[TENSE MUSIC]
- Yes.
- Okay.
How'd you get from
the pool to the hot tub?
I don't remember.
Well, did Ryan have
to drag you there?
- I'm not sure.
- You're not sure?
Mrs. Moran, we're talking
about trace amounts
of a diluted stimulant.
We're not talking about a roofie.
You heard testimony
from a witness who
took a picture of you
straddling Ryan.
You seemed to be very much in control.
- You saw the photo, didn't you?
- Yes.
All right?
You were participating.
You were smiling.
How do you explain that?
He took advantage of me.
Well, I know that that's
what you want us all to believe,
but did you ever ask
Ryan how old he was?
Objection, relevance.
I'll allow.
- Not explicitly.
- Why not?
- He was sitting at a bar.
- Hmm.
Miss Moran, I know you're a teacher,
and this is not your subject,
but, unfortunately for you,
this is all a question of math.
He looks older than he is.
He has a deep voice.
He has a deep voice?
You're 28 years old.
He's 16.
♪
How's that for math?
[SOBBING]
♪
Nothing further.
♪
Don't be fooled by Ryan Perry's age.
He's savvy enough to formulate
a plan to seduce my client
and weaponize a bottle
of vodka for any woman
unfortunate enough
to wind up in his path
the night of his father's wedding.
He's calculated enough
to use his dad's wedding
as a hunting ground.
You heard the text read out loud.
Ryan Perry was looking
to have a sexual conquest
with an older woman at all costs.
And when he struck out at the wedding,
he went to the hotel bar,
where he found my client,
and he decided she was
gonna be his next target.
Thank you for your time.
Mr. Carisi.
The proper application of the law is,
and always has been,
centered on fairness.
It's one of the pillars
of our justice system.
Now, ladies and
gentlemen, make no mistake,
your job now is to faithfully apply
the law to the facts of this
case without sympathy or bias,
and the facts are these.
The victim, Ryan Perry, was a minor,
and the defendant,
Stacey Moran, was an adult.
But what if that minor
were a young girl
and the adult was a grown man?
I wonder, would that
change your viewpoint at all?
And if it did, would that be fair?
Well, today it's up to
each and every one of you,
to ensure that it is.
Thank you.
♪
Has the jury reached a verdict?
- No, Your Honor.
- You haven't?
On the single charge
of rape in the third degree,
we are still, at this moment,
hopelessly deadlocked.
Do you think more time deliberating
will allow you to reach
a unanimous verdict?
Honestly, no.
♪
All right.
Then I'm declaring a mistrial.
The state of New York
thanks the jury for their service.
You are dismissed.
You're free.
It's over.
It's over.
It's over.
♪
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.
Thank you.
Billy, are you crazy?
This is too much.
Well, it's our anniversary.
How are we gonna afford this?
You let me worry about that.
Hey.
- Can I help you?
- Yeah, checking in.
Last name Moran.
Okay.
Mr. and Mrs. Moran,
we've got you in a king suite
with a view of the park.
A king suite?
How about we stop worrying
about it, and start enjoying it?
Room 508.
Elevators are around
the corner to the left.
- Enjoy your stay.
- Thanks.
$120 for a ribeye?
Seriously, don't worry.
I'll put it on the card.
Excuse me.
Can my wife get a pinot grigio?
And you know what?
I will take a Macallan 12, neat.
You got it.
Hey, come on.
We're celebrating, right?
You've been sober for six months.
You were so proud of that.
Well, this is a special occasion,
and no one's driving.
It's just one drink, Stacey.
Hmm?
[CORK POPS]
Babe, trust me, you've had enough.
I'm not even drunk.
- Please.
- No, come on.
Okay.
Baby, come here.
- I love you so much.
- No.
You look so pretty.
- Come here.
- No.
- No.
- Yeah, come here.
No. No!
Hey.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
Baby, come on.
- See you later.
- Hey, come back.
Baby.
Ugh.
♪
Vodka soda, please.
Sure.
I didn't see you at the wedding.
There's a wedding here?
Can't you hear that
cheesy '90s music?
- Brian.
- Stacey.
Who got married, a friend of yours?
Um, my dad, actually.
Third time.
Speaking as someone
who's only been married once,
believe me, I get it.
- Where are we going?
- Follow me.
Come on, come on.
Are you sure we're
allowed to be here?
Door was open.
Don't worry about it.
I was here last night.
Come on.
[MUFFLED POP MUSIC]
♪
Did you go skinny
dipping last night too?
No, I'll just wear my boxers.
[LAUGHS] Okay.
Turn around.
I don't think you can return
the dress after the wedding.
[CHUCKLES]
I'm taking it to the cleaners
on my way into work.
And I need to bring Ryan's
tux back to the rental place
before they charge us for another day.
Is he in his room?
Still eating breakfast, I think.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
What are you doing?
Where did those come from?
- Happy Monday.
- Good morning, Captain.
So where are we on this guy
who's been taking creeper shots
of people in porta-potties?
Caught him last night,
chest deep in blue filth.
After unis hosed him off,
they recovered his phone.
I'll spare you the evidence photos.
Oh, thank you.
I'll be in my office.
You want me to get this?
No, I'll take it.
Good morning. I'm Captain Benson.
How can I help you?
- This is my stepson, Ryan.
- Hi.
Saturday night,
at a hotel in the city,
a woman pressured him into having sex.
It wasn't exactly like that.
Ryan, you were taken advantage of.
Please, let me do the talking.
We're here to report an assault.
Okay, so I'll need
a few more details.
Here's the only detail you need.
He's 16 years old.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
Okay.
Follow me.
♪
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
So this woman was
older than you, Ryan?
Yeah, that's right.
So how old would you say?
I don't know.
- 30, maybe.
- Okay.
Can you tell us what happened?
Ryan?
Look, I get it.
You don't wanna say something
that might get
someone else in trouble.
And maybe maybe it's somebody
that you're close with.
We're not close. It
was just a one-night thing.
Oh, okay.
So how did you and
this older woman meet?
At a hotel bar.
Ryan's father and I were married
Saturday night at the Atelier.
Ryan must have left
the reception early,
and they served him
alcohol at that hotel bar.
- They served me at the wedding too.
- Well, they weren't supposed to.
Dad lets me drink
beer at home sometimes.
- Not anymore.
- Mrs. Perry,
how about you
and I go speak in my office?
He will be in good hands
with Detective Bruno.
Come with me.
Hey.
I know you don't wanna be here,
but, you're under the age of consent,
so, you're not just a kid in
the eyes of your stepmom.
You're a kid to the law.
I'm gonna ask you point-blank.
Did you have sex
with this older woman?
And what's your relationship
with Ryan been like?
He's a teenager, and
I'm his second stepmother.
But, he must trust you if he
told you something like this.
He only told me what happened
after I found these
in his suit jacket.
Okay, I'm gonna need
to take those to the lab.
- Fine by me.
- Okay.
Do you have any idea
who they belong to?
- Maybe a guest at your wedding?
- Absolutely not.
Whoever she was, she
took advantage of Ryan.
May I ask where Ryan's
biological mother is in all of this?
She died of breast cancer
when he was just a toddler.
So this woman at the bar,
you never got her full name?
Just Stacey.
You two were drinking together?
- Who was buying?
- She was.
Okay.
Then what did you two do?
Uh, we decided to explore the hotel.
We ended up at the pool.
Whose idea was that?
Both of ours.
Then what happened?
We started kissing and,
I mean, we were both a little drunk.
And then?
We moved to the hot tub and
You know
Had sex.
You tell her you were 16?
- She didn't ask.
- Okay.
What happened after the sex?
We both fell asleep on
two lawn chairs by the pool.
So you stayed there all night?
Yeah, when we woke
up, we got dressed and left.
How'd you end up with her panties?
I I was gonna give them back,
but she was in a hurry to
just get out of there, so
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
You happen to get her number
or where she was visiting from?
♪
So what have we got here?
16-year-old kid who
doesn't think he's a victim.
Well, he's about to be educated.
So what's next?
A uni is taking Ryan and
his mother to the hospital
to do a rape kit.
Okay, was he able
to identify the woman?
Just a first name Stacey.
Well, there's gotta be
some record of her at the hotel.
Well, Ryan did say she
bought drinks at the bar.
Then she either used her credit card
- or charged it to the room.
- Right.
So canvass the hotel
and start with the bar.
Excuse us.
What can I get you?
We're on the clock.
Were you working Saturday night?
I'm here every night.
You recognize this guy?
Yeah. He was here at the bar.
Well, he's only 16.
He certainly didn't look it.
The lady he was with
bought all the drinks.
Okay. What can
you tell us about her?
White, brown hair.
How'd she pay?
I asked her if she
wanted to put it on the room,
but she gave me her card.
We're gonna need a
copy of those receipts.
Security footage too.
Am I in any kind of trouble?
Not if you keep cooperating.
All right, here they
are leaving the bar.
And this is them 20 minutes
later, approaching the pool.
Is this the best angle we have?
The hotel is still going through it.
This is what they sent us so far.
Then Ryan and Stacey leave together
about five hours later.
Ryan corroborated the timeline.
And no security cameras
inside the pool area?
None that we found.
Were we able to ID this woman?
Yeah, her name is Stacey Moran
from Union, New Jersey.
A 28-year-old sixth
grade teacher, married.
All right, so let's take a
drive out to New Jersey,
talk to Stacey,
without her husband in the room.
Stacey Moran?
- That's me. Can I help you?
- Hi, I'm Captain Benson,
and this is Captain Curry from
Manhattan Special Victims Unit.
Manhattan?
What brings you out here?
Well, we're just following
up on an investigation.
Were you at the
Atelier Saturday night?
Yes, with my husband.
Why?
Do you know him?
- He looks familiar.
- Yeah.
I mean, we know that the two
of you were together in the bar.
Can you tell me what this is about?
Hey, what's
What's going on?
Mr. Moran?
Yeah.
Who are you?
We're from the NYPD.
We're looking into an
incident that happened
at the Atelier this past weekend.
Well, we were there.
Why? What happened?
Well, can we
Can we talk inside?
Yeah.
Billy and I were at the hotel
to celebrate our anniversary,
but, to be honest, he got
really drunk, so I left him.
And went down to the bar,
and that's when you met Ryan.
He was there, by himself.
I mean, we had a few drinks together.
And then what?
I think, at one point,
we snuck into the pool
and went swimming.
Was that all?
Why are you asking me about this?
I'm not proud of it,
but after Stacey left
the room, I passed out.
Why did she leave?
She was pissed at me.
Why, did she say I
did something wrong?
- No, Mr. Moran.
- Then why are you here?
Because I'll tell you right now,
I don't know anything
about any incident.
Look, Mrs. Moran,
I understand that you
may not want your husband
to know what happened,
but, there's been an accusation.
- From the hotel?
- No, from Ryan Perry.
Did you know that he was 16 years old?
♪
That's not possible.
He was at the bar. He
had a drink in his hand.
Right, and he is a
sophomore in high school,
and he claims that
the two of you had sex.
Stacey, what is this?
- What did you tell them I did?
- No, nothing.
- This isn't about you.
- Then what's going on?
Well, I think it's best if I
talk to your wife in private.
- Why? I don't understand.
- Billy.
They're saying I
I had sex with someone
Wait.
Sex? What?
But I swear to you, I
don't remember any of it.
I must have blacked out.
I think it would be
better if we spoke
about this in the precinct.
Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait.
Just
Just tell me what happened.
I I had a double
vodka soda at the bar.
I don't remember much after that.
Is that usual,
for you to have a
strong drink and then not,
- not remember anything?
- No.
So you were blacked out at the bar,
and this guy was there?
♪
I know my wife.
She would never do anything like this.
She was taken advantage of.
All right, Mr. Moran.
Let us handle this.
What, you call this handling it?
Okay, Mrs. Moran,
I need you to come with
us to the station, okay?
No, no, no, not without me, okay?
Or a lawyer.
I'm calling my brother, Grant.
No, I don't want that.
- And I don't need a lawyer.
- Yeah, you do.
My wife was raped.
♪
So Stacey Moran,
a New Jersey school teacher, allegedly
had sex with Ryan Perry,
16, in a Midtown hotel hot tub?
Who reported this?
- Ryan's stepmother.
- Okay.
- What's Mrs. Moran say?
- Well.
She says that they
were drinking,
but claims she doesn't
remember much after that.
Her side, after the
husband found out.
Well, it doesn't matter.
She's in her 20s. He's 16.
So any chance that this
kid is just embellishing?
Her DNA's on the rape
kit under the foreskin.
Hard to embellish that.
What were they both
doing at the hotel?
Well, he was there for
his father's third wedding,
and she was there
celebrating her fifth anniversary.
She's got a novel
way of celebrating it.
So, she claims that she didn't
know that he was underage.
What about Ryan?
Is he claiming force or coercion?
No, he only told his stepmother
after she found Stacey's
underwear in his tuxedo coat.
The stepmother filed the complaint,
and due to his age,
we had to take it seriously.
What about this
woman? Any history there?
No, she is a highly
respected teacher
working at the same
school for five years.
Not one single complaint.
Well, we gotta get her
lawyer to agree to a plea deal.
This guy's gotta be halfway decent.
You know he's got a billboard
off exit 141 in New Jersey?
That and he's
Stacey's brother-in-law.
This just keeps getting
better and better.
I swear, I didn't know he was 16.
He was drinking in the hotel bar.
My client is the victim here.
Well, I'm sorry, Mrs.
Moran, but the fact
that you didn't know his age
is not a legal defense.
She was incapacitated.
So, I'd like to hear more about that.
Like I said earlier, I had
a few drinks at the bar.
They must have hit me
harder than I realized.
Again, legally,
that's not an excuse.
It was if she was blacked out.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Stacey
Were you blacked out?
Before the pool, he handed
me a small bottle of vodka.
After a few sips, I felt like
Like nothing I felt before.
How so?
Uninhibited and high.
But not blacked out.
That's not what she's saying.
Who knows what he gave her?
She may have been drugged.
Mr. Moran, we don't know
if he gave her anything yet.
Not to mention his tolerance.
Despite his age, he
has at least 30 pounds,
- a foot of height on her.
- Stacey, did he
Did he force you in any way?
No, but he looked like a man.
If I knew his age, I never
would have even talked to him.
Okay, we understand
that this is, uh, complicated.
But regardless of how
you might feel about it,
this was a criminal act.
Oh, you're not seriously
gonna charge her with anything.
♪
Due to the circumstances,
we can offer her a plea.
Misdemeanor sexual
misconduct, no jail time.
One thing is certain.
She's not going on the registry.
I'm a teacher.
I'd lose my whole life.
Unfortunately, in a case like this,
the registry is mandatory.
♪
What am I gonna do?
♪
My client needs a tox screen.
And a rape kit.
♪
Stacey.
Grant, you fix this or what?
The situation is ongoing.
Well, can I take her home?
Your wife is facing
potential charges, Mr. Moran.
Billy, they're saying I'm the rapist.
- What?
- I have to go.
Wait. Where are they taking you?
Your wife will be escorted to
the hospital to get some tests.
Well, I'm going with her then.
- No.
- No.
Okay, you take Mrs. Moran
to the hospital, please.
And then what?
Then, when you're
finished, we will talk.
This isn't right. This
isn't this isn't fair.
Billy. Hey, hey. Let
me take you home, okay?
We're gonna figure this out.
So what are we looking at?
Two drowning people
trying to save themselves
from a night of bad choices.
Hey, any leeway from the eighth floor?
We cannot charge a
misdemeanor sex crime
without her going on the registry.
She doesn't take this
deal, I'm gonna have
to indict and arraign her.
Where she'll plead not guilty.
Then we're gonna go to trial.
But if the tox screen comes back,
and shows that Stacey
was indeed drugged,
she may have been
incapable of consent.
Well, you know who else
is incapable of consent?
- The 16-year-old kid.
- Give me a break.
Ryan didn't even wanna come forward.
Look, Curry has a point.
It was his stepmother that
pushed the whole thing forward.
This woman's saying Ryan raped her?
Well, there might be evidence
that she was incapacitated.
- From what?
- Well
They were drinking,
and she's at the hospital
right now getting a tox screen
for other substances as well.
You're blaming Ryan for
that?
Who knows what she took?
No matter what the circumstances,
we plan on pursuing
what Stacey did as a crime.
Rape.
That's what this is, right?
Well, depending on what
is found on the tox screen,
there may be other charges as well.
- Against Ryan?
- Emily, calm down.
- No, Frank.
- Listen.
How about we all take
a breath here, okay?
Our ADA is hoping to resolve
all of this with a plea deal.
A deal? Is she gonna take it?
I think, right now, the thing
that she's most focused on is
Is staying off the sex registry.
Well, she should
have thought of that
- before she raped our son.
- Okay.
But you should know
that if this moves forward,
Ryan will have to testify.
Captain, I need a minute.
Stacey's tox screen showed
the presence of MDMA?
- Yeah.
- Is it possible that she
She took it herself, she
just didn't wanna tell us that?
She doesn't strike
me as a drug user.
And public school teachers
get regular drug testing.
I mean, Carisi, it is possible,
that he slipped it to her?
Well, he's claiming he didn't have
any drugs on him that night.
Well, the lab can't prove either way,
- how she ingested the drugs.
- Okay.
I can at least get a search
warrant for Ryan's room.
But if he did give Stacey MDMA
and he didn't tell her about it,
it's gonna play in
her favor with the jury.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
I swear, Dad, I don't do drugs.
Then you have
nothing to worry about.
♪
Except, maybe these.
Why do I get the feeling
these aren't multivitamins?
You should know Stacey
Moran tested positive for MDMA.
That's not what that is.
As much as we'd like to believe you,
that's what the kit's for.
- It's turning purple.
- What does that mean?
That means this is MDMA.
Ryan, where did you get these?
I told you, they aren't mine.
- What happens now?
- Your son's under arrest.
- What?
- Turn around.
You had to drag me to Manhattan
- to talk to the police.
- I was trying to protect you.
- Well, nice job, Emily.
- Wait, wait, wait.
- Where are you taking him?
- We're booking him on drug charges.
And then what?
He's gonna explain exactly
how Stacey Moran ended up
with his drugs in her system.
I already told you guys
that Molly wasn't mine.
Your possession charge,
that's up to Suffolk County.
Don't waste your lies on
something we don't even care about.
Then why are we even here?
My client is a victim
of statutory rape.
Because his alleged
attacker had Molly in her system.
Which she says she didn't take.
She's obviously
the one lying to you.
Is that true, Ryan?
We're gonna find out
one way or the other.
Doing drugs isn't
the end of the world.
But lying on the stand is.
I'm asking you to trust me.
I do.
Then the way to show that
is by shooting me straight right now.
All right, okay.
Stacey's not lying.
So, how did MDMA
end up in her system?
I kind of crushed some pills
and put it in a fifth of vodka.
- Ryan.
- It's just
It was just to get through
my dad's wedding.
Mm-hmm.
So when Stacey and
I made it to the pool,
she grabbed the bottle.
I turned around, and she took a sip.
Did you tell her it was Molly?
No,
but, she said that she
wanted to have fun.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
What about what you wanted?
Where is this going?
TARU went through your phone.
Found a pretty interesting
chat,
with what looks like you and
two of your closest buddies.
How is this relevant?
Let me read some.
"I'm sick of high school girls.
"My stepmom's got some
thick-ass fire booty bridesmaids.
I'm gonna tag one of 'em tonight."
I'm assuming those
"fire booty bridesmaids,"
- they're around Stacey's age.
- Yeah.
So you see how this looks, right?
You're on the hunt
for an older woman,
you ran into one, and you drugged her.
And we are done talking.
Okay.
So what do you think?
Well, at least the
kid's finally being honest.
Well, there's a difference between
honesty and self-preservation.
A jury's bound to find
those text messages
pretty incriminating.
See, if he intentionally
neglected to tell Stacey
that he crushed up Molly
and put it in his vodka
and she wound up drinking it,
that's a felony.
Yet the problem is, there's no way
that I can prove that that
is what he intended to do.
And I don't see this kid as being
some kind of criminal mastermind.
Well, neither is Stacey.
Well, right now, she's the only one
that I can prove is guilty.
In fact, I'm due at her
arraignment in 30 minutes.
Okay, well, she can
still accept a plea deal.
Well, so far, she's not listening
to anything I have to say.
Stacey Moran, you're charged
with rape in the third degree.
How do you plead?
Not guilty, Your Honor.
- People on bail?
- 15,000, Your Honor.
For an E felony?
Given the
circumstances of this case,
we believe that amount is warranted.
This is a first offense, Your Honor.
My client is a law-abiding citizen
who just wants to clear her good name.
Be that as it may, I
agree bail is called for.
Make it 10,000.
But why are we
talking about my wife?
- He's the real criminal here!
- Order.
My son is a minor!
She's a pedophile!
- He took advantage of my wife.
- Order! Bailiff.
- Next case.
- That's enough. That's enough.
Next case, docket number 2Y3874
Stacey posted bail,
so it looks like we're going to trial.
She doesn't think
that she raped Ryan.
Look, he gave her
ecstasy without telling her.
He never offered her that bottle.
She grabbed it herself.
And the legal basis for
prosecuting a case like this
is all about the numbers.
She's 28.
He's 16.
I can't change that.
She claims that
she was incapacitated.
Believe me, her lawyer's
gonna bring that up at trial,
which is why I need
evidence that proves otherwise.
There's no witnesses?
There's no hotel security footage?
Just what you've already seen,
the two of them entering
into the pool area.
- But not the encounter in the pool.
- No.
I mean, look, there was
a couple of passersby.
They looked like they
came from the wedding.
Can we ID them?
From the back of their head.
But if we show that
footage to Ryan's parents,
then if they were
guests of the wedding
Then they might be
able to identify them.
They're both clearly drunk.
I don't know what this
is supposed to prove.
Well, we may have
found some witnesses.
You recognize those guys?
My second cousin, Thomas.
What's he doing?
Looks like he's taking a photo.
Of our son being assaulted?
Well, we won't know that
until we look at your cousin's phone.
One of the wedding
guests took this photo?
Yes, and then
sent it to his girlfriend.
- Classy.
- A one-word oxymoron.
Look, incapacitated
people can still smile.
So does this help or hurt, Counselor?
The only way to
know for sure is to get it
in front of the jury.
I was on my way back
to my room past the pool.
What did you see?
What I thought was a couple,
but what I now know
was my 16-year-old cousin
with the defendant.
They were having sex.
But you didn't recognize
your cousin Ryan at the time?
No.
I was intoxicated.
- And you took a photo.
- Yes.
People's Exhibit 1, Your Honor.
Now, how would you
describe the defendant's affect
during this sexual encounter?
She looked like she
was enjoying herself.
And did she ever seem
incapacitated in any way?
No, not at all.
Thank you, Mr. D'Angelo.
To state the obvious,
you weren't in the pool area
during this alleged attack.
No, I was just walking by.
So could you hear
what they were saying?
- No.
- Could you see under the water?
No.
So it's possible that Ryan
was holding Stacey in place.
But, she was smiling.
Have you ever seen somebody
smile out of fear, or
Nervousness before?
I guess so, yeah.
So how do you know
what kind of smile this was?
I guess I don't.
One more question.
Mr. D'Angelo, you said
you were intoxicated.
If you were intoxicated,
do you think that
you were the best judge
of my client's state of being,
not to mention her
own relative incapacity?
I guess not.
Nothing further.
We moved to the Jacuzzi
because we were getting cold.
Okay, whose idea was that?
- Hers.
- Then what?
She sat on my lap.
In what position?
Well, is she facing away from you?
Is she sitting off to the side?
- Straddling me.
- Straddling you.
So, her face towards yours, yeah?
Yes.
How'd that make you feel?
I mean, I'm only 16.
I've never had a grown
woman sit on my lap like that,
especially in her underwear.
I guess she could
tell that I was excited.
So how did this progress to sex?
Well, I was wearing
boxers, and she reached in
and just kind of, like
Just pulled it out.
Then what happened?
[SIGHS] She pushed aside her panties,
and put me inside of her.
So she was the
one who initiated sex?
Yes.
Did she ever seem incapacitated?
She was a little
drunk, but so was I.
But she did consume
alcohol from a bottle
that you had mixed with MDMA.
Yes.
Did you ever offer her that bottle?
No.
She picked it up off the ground.
And, Ryan, the night in question,
did Stacey Moran ever
once ask you your age?
No.
I tried talking to her about my life,
but, she said that she didn't
want to share sad stories.
Thank you, Ryan.
No more questions.
Well, you met Stacey
at the hotel bar, correct?
Yes.
And you had a drink in your hand.
I ordered it at the bar.
Oh, oh.
So Stacey, saw you,
sitting at the bar drinking.
After the bartender
already served you.
Seems like she wasn't the only one
who assumed you were over 21.
I guess.
And who decided to go to the pool?
We both did.
And at that point,
you were both drinking
from your small vodka
bottle that contained MDMA.
Yes.
Did you tell Stacey that
there was drugs in that vodka?
I didn't think it was
that big of a deal.
You didn't think it was a big deal?
Everybody does it.
Not Stacey Moran.
At any point during
the encounter, Ryan,
did you say "stop" or "slow down"
or indicate that you were
uncomfortable in any way?
No, not
Not really.
And did you communicate
your relative sexual inexperience?
I thought that she could tell.
Oh, she say
something to that effect?
No.
Ryan, you were looking to
get lucky that night, weren't you?
Before you answer,
can you read this?
It's Defense Exhibit A, Your Honor.
Go ahead.
Is that a text message that
you sent to two of your friends?
Yes.
Could you read that out
loud for the jury, please?
"I'm sick of high school girls."
"My stepmom's got some
thick-ass fire booty bridesmaids."
"I'm gonna tag one of 'em tonight."
"Tag one of 'em."
Based on that text,
is it fair to say that
you were looking
to have a sexual encounter
with an older woman?
Objection, relevance.
I'm going to allow.
Yes, I guess so.
And when you found
one, you slipped her drugs,
- hoping to get lucky.
- Objection, asked and answered.
Withdrawn.
Ryan
Did your stepmother find a
pair of my client's underwear
in the pocket of your
rental tuxedo jacket?
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Yes.
Did you keep it as a trophy?
No, it was an accident.
♪
I'd like to remind you
that you're under oath.
Ryan
Isn't it true
That if your stepmother
hadn't found those panties,
you never would have come forward,
and accused my client?
Objection, yeah,
Your Honor
Relevance.
I'm going to allow.
♪
No, I wouldn't have.
♪
Nothing further.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Hey.
Are you okay?
Yeah. Why?
[CHUCKLES]
You forget who you're talking to.
What's going on?
Ah, for a minute there, I just
Felt like I was watching
myself up on that stand.
When I was about 15,
my parents used to have
all these cocktail parties,
and at one of them,
our newly divorced neighbor,
Mrs. Olson,
came upstairs and
snuck into bed with me.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
I was in nothing but my boxers.
She, um, put her hand through and
Started touching me.
What did you do?
I didn't say a word.
I didn't want to embarrass her.
You tell anyone?
Yeah.
You, right now.
♪
I've been married to
Stacey for five years.
We were at the hotel
for our anniversary.
And how would you
categorize your marriage?
We're committed to each other.
Uh
It's not perfect.
It's got its ups and downs.
And that night at the hotel,
was that one of the downs?
Which is on me.
She never would have left the
room if I hadn't provoked her.
- Well, how so?
- Your Honor.
We object to this entire
line of questioning.
Relevance.
I'm going to allow.
Uh
I broke my sobriety,
which is inexcusable.
Our marriage is still in trouble,
but I hope to repair things.
It just may take a while.
And yet, you're here today,
testifying on her behalf.
Because I know my wife would never
knowingly hurt a teenage boy.
She's been a dedicated
teacher her whole career.
She made one bad choice that night,
but she does not deserve
to have her entire life ruined.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Thank you.
Mr. Moran, you just said,
"I know my wife would never
knowingly hurt a teenage boy."
But let me ask you
did you know that,
after helping you break your sobriety,
your wife would keep the party going
by heading straight to
the bar and picking up
the first guy she met?
No.
Thank you, Billy.
That's all I need.
Mr. Moran, call your next witness.
The defense calls Stacey Moran.
Ryan and I were at the bar.
I finished my drink.
When we left, we
decided to stop by the pool.
And then what happened?
We stripped down to our
underwear, got in the pool.
- We were having fun.
- And were you still drinking?
Out of a fifth of vodka
that Ryan brought with him.
And were you aware
that there was a drug
commonly called ecstasy
- dissolved into that vodka?
- No
I had no idea.
In fact, you were completely unaware
until you saw your
toxicology report, weren't you?
That's right.
So, eh
So Ryan failed to mention that.
He didn't say anything.
And had you ever
tried ecstasy before?
No.
Oh, so you didn't even
know what it felt like.
I could tell I felt good.
I thought I was just drunk.
I now know I was taken advantage of.
I was drugged.
And we heard all
about your participation.
But would you have done any of that
if you hadn't been under
the influence of drugs?
No
It was out of character for me.
Ryan was the first one to get
undressed and jump in the pool.
And then once in the
pool, what did he do?
He approached me and kissed me.
Oh, so he was the one
who initiated physical contact?
That's right.
And then who decided
to go to the hot tub?
He did.
That doesn't seem like
someone who was nervous or,
inexperienced at all, does it?
Objection, leading.
Withdrawn.
Thank you.
Mrs. Moran, when you first
encountered Ryan at the bar,
who was buying the drinks?
Ryan already had a
drink by the time I arrived.
I bought one drink for myself,
a double,
but it hit me hard.
And would you describe yourself
as being incapacitated?
I wasn't before I drank
out of Ryan's bottle of vodka.
- At the pool?
- Yes.
And yet right after
you had that drink,
you immediately
disrobed, got into the pool,
all without the assistance
or coercion from Ryan.
[TENSE MUSIC]
- Yes.
- Okay.
How'd you get from
the pool to the hot tub?
I don't remember.
Well, did Ryan have
to drag you there?
- I'm not sure.
- You're not sure?
Mrs. Moran, we're talking
about trace amounts
of a diluted stimulant.
We're not talking about a roofie.
You heard testimony
from a witness who
took a picture of you
straddling Ryan.
You seemed to be very much in control.
- You saw the photo, didn't you?
- Yes.
All right?
You were participating.
You were smiling.
How do you explain that?
He took advantage of me.
Well, I know that that's
what you want us all to believe,
but did you ever ask
Ryan how old he was?
Objection, relevance.
I'll allow.
- Not explicitly.
- Why not?
- He was sitting at a bar.
- Hmm.
Miss Moran, I know you're a teacher,
and this is not your subject,
but, unfortunately for you,
this is all a question of math.
He looks older than he is.
He has a deep voice.
He has a deep voice?
You're 28 years old.
He's 16.
♪
How's that for math?
[SOBBING]
♪
Nothing further.
♪
Don't be fooled by Ryan Perry's age.
He's savvy enough to formulate
a plan to seduce my client
and weaponize a bottle
of vodka for any woman
unfortunate enough
to wind up in his path
the night of his father's wedding.
He's calculated enough
to use his dad's wedding
as a hunting ground.
You heard the text read out loud.
Ryan Perry was looking
to have a sexual conquest
with an older woman at all costs.
And when he struck out at the wedding,
he went to the hotel bar,
where he found my client,
and he decided she was
gonna be his next target.
Thank you for your time.
Mr. Carisi.
The proper application of the law is,
and always has been,
centered on fairness.
It's one of the pillars
of our justice system.
Now, ladies and
gentlemen, make no mistake,
your job now is to faithfully apply
the law to the facts of this
case without sympathy or bias,
and the facts are these.
The victim, Ryan Perry, was a minor,
and the defendant,
Stacey Moran, was an adult.
But what if that minor
were a young girl
and the adult was a grown man?
I wonder, would that
change your viewpoint at all?
And if it did, would that be fair?
Well, today it's up to
each and every one of you,
to ensure that it is.
Thank you.
♪
Has the jury reached a verdict?
- No, Your Honor.
- You haven't?
On the single charge
of rape in the third degree,
we are still, at this moment,
hopelessly deadlocked.
Do you think more time deliberating
will allow you to reach
a unanimous verdict?
Honestly, no.
♪
All right.
Then I'm declaring a mistrial.
The state of New York
thanks the jury for their service.
You are dismissed.
You're free.
It's over.
It's over.
It's over.
♪