Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
(narrator)
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.
You know what sucks?
Cramming two people in a room
with only one phone line.
I hate dorms.
Use your cell phone.
I keep going over my limit
because you're always online.
You mind logging off
for, like, two seconds?
This is kind of
life or death.
You're in
a freaking chat room.
(Goth Girl)
Read this.
"Rage is eating me alive.
Must release it.
"I have a knife and rope.
"And a 5-year-old.
Screw her innocence,
then slice her up.
"
This is sick.
He swears he's not joking.
[Keys clicking]
"Hey, ***,
I'm calling the Denver cops.
"
I'm trying to calm him down.
He's replying.
"Thanks for the heads up.
I love killing pigs.
I'll mow them down when
they come through my door.
"
Hey.
(officer)
His screen name
is "Psychokiller"?
Yeah, in a chat room for
slasher film fans.
I tracked down
the Internet
service provider.
I'm on hold
with them now.
The guy's obsessed
with mutilation.
And killing cops.
He logged off
half an hour ago.
Check out his last post.
"Got to get ready
for my big date.
See you in hell.
"
Uh-huh.
Hold on.
Who?
Jeremy Ostilow?
I'm afraid he's a little
out of our jurisdiction.
We're in Denver, Colorado.
Where is he?
Where else? New York City.
(Benson)
Maintain fire discipline.
He's got a kid in there.
Hit it.
Police!
Don't move!
Hands where we can see them!
Jeremy Ostilow?
Yes.
[Girl screaming]
Mommy.
It's okay, sweetheart.
Are you okay?
What the hell are you doing?
Looking for a "Psychokiller.
"
A "Psychokiller"?
Your slasher site screen name.
We linked it to your
main account, JJO Rules.
That's not my husband's.
It's JJ's.
And who is JJ?
(Ostilow)
Our son, Jeremy Jr.
Found him under the bed.
It was just a joke.
He's 12 years old,
for Pete's sake,
didn't you pull pranks
at that age?
Pranks, yeah, but I never
threatened to kill any cops
or say I wanted to
"Rip off her clothes,
slashing as I defile her.
"
That's what you'd like to do?
Trust me.
No more horror movies
or websites.
Don't blame them.
They didn't make me do this.
(Stabler)
Then who did?
Please.
He was just
trying to impress
other kids on the Internet.
Your son had hardcore
slasher fans freakin' out.
They asked him repeatedly,
"Are you joking?"
They thought
you were serious,
and I got to tell you,
JJ, I still do.
Then you're an idiot.
Give it up, Detective.
My parents would die
before they'd let anything
bad happen to me.
Please don't
do this to my son.
He's very sensitive.
Have you read the printout
we gave you from the Internet?
It's nonsense he picked up
from comic books and movies.
He has no idea what it means.
He went into graphic detail.
(Mrs.
Ostilow)
Who's gonna fix the door?
You can fill out a form
to be reimbursed by the city.
How long will that take?
If you're lucky,
I'd say six to eight weeks.
No, it has to be tonight.
What will I
tell the neighbors?
Mrs.
Ostilow,
how long has your son
been obsessed with violence?
He's not.
Has he ever hurt his sister?
Never.
I need to talk to her.
Lisette's in her room.
I'll get her.
Underage suspects
are entitled
to have a parent present.
Underage victims are not
afforded that same right.
Lisette's not a victim.
I need to talk to her alone.
Fine.
She'll tell you
she adores her big brother.
"Screw her innocence
and then slice her up.
"
This is about
your sister Lisette?
No.
You're telling me there's
another 5-year-old out there
who pisses you off that much?
Believe me, I know what a pain
little sisters can be.
Just tell me what she did.
She melted my favorite CD
in her Easy-Bake Oven.
That sucks.
What did you do?
Nothing.
I never do anything.
When someone makes me mad,
I just imagine hurting them.
That makes me feel better.
So it's like a release valve?
You think about it,
but don't actually do it.
That's what I said, moron.
You have these thoughts a lot?
All the time.
What are you so angry about?
(JJ)
Stuff.
What kind of stuff?
Life is really stressful,
you know?
I know mine is.
I deal with dirtbags
every day.
Like yesterday,
there was this case.
These four guys
gang-*** this sweet
Haitian woman.
Detective!
You want to hear the details?
I really don't think this
About how
they beat her up
and they degraded her?
And when she begged for mercy,
they defecated on her.
This is a child
you're talking to.
Read what he wrote.
If he wants to act
like an adult predator,
I'll talk to him like one.
You really want to
grow up to be like
one of those perverts, huh?
Why wait?
So, Lisette,
has JJ ever hurt you?
He pulled my hair once.
He did? That's not nice.
Has he hurt you
any other times?
I have a new game.
Want to play?
You know what?
Ah, maybe later,
but we need to finish
talkin' about JJ first, okay?
Okay.
Okay.
So,
Lisette, I need you
to show me on this doll,
all the places
where JJ hurt you.
Right.
And has he
hurt you any place else?
Not me.
Has he hurt someone else?
Who?
Beverly and Erica.
And do you know
where he hurt them?
Okay.
Now, Lisette, I need to talk
to Beverly and Erica.
Does your Mommy
know where they are?
No, they're in the hospital.
What hospital?
Lisette, sweetie,
we need to finish talking
before we can play.
But you said you
wanted to see it.
This is the hospital.
(Cragen)
Mr.
Ostilow,
your son needs help.
(Ostilow)
He's a boy.
Boys break
their sister's dolls.
He mutilated 23 of them,
all in the genital area.
He's emotionally disturbed.
You're a psychiatrist,
are you?
No.
No, sir, I'm not.
That's why I would like you
to sign this.
What is it?
It's a parental
consent form
to commit JJ for
psychiatric observation.
I won't have him
branded crazy.
You'd prefer
a criminal record?
For what?
Posting terroristic
threats is a felony.
I am so sick of people
co-opting 9l11
for their own agenda.
Where do you want to
send him, Guantanamo Bay?
I'd prefer
Bellevue's Adolescent Ward.
Absolutely not.
Well, he's not going home
to his sister.
So it's either Bellevue
or Juvenile Detention.
Your call, sir.
I hear they shipped JJ
off to the loony bin.
Cragen talked the father
into a 72-hour hold.
Heard anything
from the neighbors?
That he should be locked
in a rubber room permanently.
(Benson)
Why? What's he done?
Traumatizes every tot
in the building,
screams at them till he's red.
About what?
Any little thing, like lookin'
at him the wrong way.
He locked a few of them up
in a utility closet.
Convinced them
they would be murdered.
They cried for an hour
before he let them out.
Dad smoothed it out
with the parents,
sent them expensive gifts.
He's making it worse
by excusing it.
This kid is
a ticking time bomb.
Well, let's just
call his school
and see if he's
exploded already.
Trouble paying
attention in class,
poor grades
inappropriate behavior.
Such as?
He drew a pornographic image
on a girl's desk
with a magic marker.
A tortured artist.
Another time, he wrote
an obscenely graphic scenario,
passed it on to
another student.
It upset her very much.
(Fin)
Do you still have it?
I contacted his parents,
suggested he needed therapy.
They disagree.
What's the school
doin' about it?
We're not inviting
him back next year.
We'd ask him to leave now
if it wasn't so close
to the end of the term.
Did he ever hurt
another student?
We suspected he did once,
but the victim denied it.
What was the incident?
A locker-room fight.
Mitchell was a bloody mess.
JJ didn't have a mark on him.
It was perplexing.
Why's that?
If I had to name
the school bully,
it would be Mitchell.
[Children chattering]
(Munch)
Dodge ball?
Haven't they outlawed
this barbaric practice yet?
I loved this game.
Yeah, well,
you're a ***.
You know,
I literally weighed
I can still hear them.
"Break the pencil.
"
I was a walking bruise.
[Grunts]
I think we found Mitchell.
You're out.
Get over here.
What the
JJ came out of the showers.
Someone might have
pulled his towel away.
Why?
Something to do.
So what happened?
He might have gotten snapped
by a wet towel or two.
All in good fun,
you know?
(Munch)
Yeah.
Getting pelted
by Neanderthals
in the privates
sounds like a blast.
JJ went postal.
He started wailing on me.
He bloodied my nose,
gave me a black eye,
a busted lip.
So how is it a guy like you
doesn't fight back?
I was freaked out.
Why? Because somebody
half your size
finally stood up to you?
No, because the whole time
he's hitting me,
he's screaming, "***.
"
Explosive rage,
*** acting out.
The slipping grades.
Behavioral and
personality changes.
JJ's got all the classic
signs of being molested.
Question is, by whom?
Well, we canvassed his school,
he's not in any
extracurricular activities,
so I doubt it was a teacher.
No older friends
anyone knows about.
No friends at all.
That leaves the parents.
(Stabler)
Dad was running interference
all through the interview.
Gonna be hard for JJ
to talk about abuse
if his abuser is
sitting right there.
I think the mother
knows about it.
I got the feeling that she
was covering something up.
Aside from her worrying about
what the neighbors thought,
this woman has
major guilt issues.
We gotta get JJ to open up.
We might have trouble
gaining his trust.
I put him through the wringer
a little bit there.
Huang's got privileges
at Bellevue.
We'll have him
pay a visit.
(Huang)
How are you feeling today, JJ?
I'm locked up in
an insane asylum.
How do you think I feel?
Uh, angry,
frustrated, betrayed.
You're the doctor.
Well, it seems to me
like you're angry.
Are you angry at someone?
My parents.
They're so lame.
What did they do?
They let me wind up here.
Well, maybe they thought
it was for your own good.
They don't care about me.
Sounds like they've
let you down before.
I can't say.
You know, JJ, it's okay.
You can tell me.
You don't understand,
I'm not allowed
to talk about it!
Why not?
Because of the contract.
You made a deal not to tell?
I didn't.
My parents did.
[Chair rattling]
JJ.
There isn't a contract that
can legally cover up a crime.
They're not protecting you.
Why are you protecting them?
Tell me where it happened.
At a sleepover.
Mmm-hmm.
There were
a bunch of kids there,
but I was the only one
who got to sleep
in the Treasure Room.
What's the "Treasure Room"?
His bedroom.
Whose bedroom?
Billy.
And what did Billy do
in the Treasure Room?
He had these pajamas
laid out for me.
He helped me undress.
I can't.
[JJ sighs]
JJ
[sobbing]
I'm real sorry
that your parents
made you keep
the secret so long,
but you've got
to get it out now.
He touched me.
He made me touch him.
And did you tell your parents
what happened?
Yeah.
What did they do about it?
Got rich.
What do you mean?
Billy owns the company
my dad used to work for.
He paid them so much money
not to tell,
they never have
to work again.
Until three years ago,
Jeremy Ostilow Sr.
Worked for Tripley Toys.
The company did $1.
7 billion
in sales last year.
It's owned by
William J.
Tripley.
Whom, I see
by his press release,
prefers to be called Billy.
Thirty-five, never married,
clean slate.
Inherited
the company from daddy.
He doesn't actually
run the empire,
but he does receive
the bulk of the profits.
I pulled the Ostilows'
financials.
Jeremy received $2 million
when he left the company.
Lot of corporate executives
have golden
parachute provisions.
This guy was
middle management.
Still he received
an additional million
a year after he left
and another million
earlier this year.
The boss molested their son,
then bought their silence.
Tripley always had
deep pockets
when it comes to kids.
He's given tens of millions
of dollars to charities,
usually child-related.
Programs for gifted kids,
sick kids,
underprivileged kids.
The man sure loves children.
Yeah, too much.
There must be other victims
out there, somewhere.
How are we supposed
to weed them out?
We've got JJ's statement.
I say we pick up Tripley now.
Have Novak get
a search warrant
before he has time
to clean house.
(Stabler)
Lederhosen?
Guilty.
(Benson)
A functioning
soda fountain,
stuffed animals,
arcade games
all this for a guy
who doesn't have
kids of his own.
He owns a toy store.
Maybe he likes to
bring his work home.
This has got to cost more
than my family car.
[Lemur gibbering]
(Munch)
What the hell is that?
(maid)
That's Mr.
Tripley's lemur.
You frightened it.
(Munch)
Lemur? Aren't those
things endangered?
It's here.
God knows
what he's doin' to it.
Don't you dare insult
Mr.
Tripley.
He's a saint.
Really? Well, have you
ever seen anything, uh,
inappropriate,
you know, questionable?
Never.
There are 10 servants
on staff.
Ask any of them.
Oh, we intend to.
We understand that you have
a, uh, secret Treasure Room?
You know about that?
It's no secret.
It's every child's
favorite place.
Pervert ahoy.
Pedophilic pirate motif.
Interesting choice.
What you gotta do to get ***
from this treasure chest?
(Munch)
I wonder how many victims
walked Tripley's gangplank?
It's just like JJ said.
This is where he was molested
three years ago.
This bed's a tight squeeze
for two to sleep in
platonically.
Oh, this is just wrong.
Little jammies,
each one a different theme.
What's this about?
Tripley's idea of lingerie.
Bag them up,
give them to the crime lab.
Hopefully they'll find
some dirty laundry
in the dirty laundry.
It's inconceivable that no one
has turned this guy in by now.
[Reporters clamoring]
(Zeirko)
Don't worry, Billy.
I'll have
you out in 15 minutes.
(reporter)
Did you do it, Billy? How many
kids have you molested?
Is the victim male or female?
No comment.
Let us through.
(Zeirko)
There is no truth in
these outrageous allegations.
(reporter)
Could you clarify
the allegations?
Scurrilous lies,
plain and simple.
Someone trying to
cash in, no doubt.
Please, people,
clear a path, please.
Billy has dedicated
his life to helping kids.
I can't fathom why anyone
would smear his good name.
But I promise you anyone doing
so will be sued for slander.
You're not trying to
threaten a witness through
the press, are you?
No, are you trying to trample
my First Amendment right
to free speech?
Watch your head.
(reporter)
One more question.
Tell them I would never
hurt a child.
We're standing right here.
Tell us yourself.
What's it going to take
to make this go away?
You mean a dollar amount?
I'm afraid Billy can't buy
his way out of this one,
not this time.
I didn't do anything.
I love children.
(Stabler)
So we hear,
from the boy you molested.
It's a big lie.
(Benson)
No, it's a $4 million secret.
That's what you paid
the family to keep them quiet.
How many payments
you got left?
(Tripley)
The Ostilow settlement
has nothing to do
with molestation.
It was business.
(Benson)
Really? You mind if
we look at that contract?
Sorry, we have
a nondisclosure agreement
involving a toy patent
we purchased from Mr.
Ostilow.
(Stabler)
That's a bunch of crap.
It's hush money.
You molested
their son and paid them off.
(Zeirko)
Filthy lies.
Do you deny having
a 9-year-old boy
spend the night
at your house?
Kids spend the night
all the time.
(Zeirko)
Billy has numerous
functions there.
You've seen the place,
of course the kids
don't want to leave.
The parents are there, too.
If they're not, I always get
their permission over
the telephone.
And how often do you sleep
in the same bed
with these kids?
All the time.
What's wrong with that?
You're a 35-year-old man.
I would kill myself
before I did anything
that'd hurt a child.
Pedophiles never think
they're hurting 'em.
You're just loving
them, right?
Yes, but not in the sick way
you're thinking.
I don't think that way.
There's nothing more natural
and more beautiful
than loving a child.
You're sick.
I think we're done here.
(Benson)
No, you're not.
Billy needs to be booked
and you've got a long,
nasty trial ahead.
Unless you really
do care about kids,
in which case you'll save
the victim an awful lot
of pain and plead out.
(Terhune)
Motion for dismissal?
The DA has no
physical evidence,
no third party witness.
We have the victim's
sworn statement
of inappropriate
*** contact.
Delusional fantasies of
an emotionally disturbed boy,
obtained while he was sedated
in a locked down unit
of a psychiatric facility.
Where he was sent for
treatment stemming from
the *** abuse
inflicted by Billy Tripley.
The alleged victim
was sent to Bellevue
for posting violent
threats on the Internet.
He made no mention
of my client.
The boy had suppressed
the facts of his abuse
for three years.
He'd been forbidden
to mention Billy Tripley.
(Zeirko)
The fact remains
that every sick threat
was proven to be a fantasy
just like the accusations
against my client.
That's for a jury to decide.
I agree.
Anything else?
Motion challenging
the admissibility of
the alleged
victim's complaint.
Didn't we just go over this?
The statement was
taken by Agent Huang.
JJ thought he was talking to
a psychiatrist, not a cop.
Dr.
Huang is a psychiatrist.
But he concealed his role as
an FBI agent from JJ
and encouraged him
to disclose information
under false pretenses.
This one I'll have
a closer look at.
I'll give you
my ruling next week.
Mr.
Zeirko
isn't the only one
who knows
how to draft a motion.
(Novak)
It's come to my attention
that the defendant,
who had no trouble
making bail,
has continued to entertain
children at his home.
Mr.
Zeirko?
My client had many
charitable functions
scheduled prior
to this nightmare.
He opted not to punish
thousands of needy kids
due to the bad behavior
of one.
Let's err on
the side of caution.
Hmm?
Until this case is resolved,
he's restricted to
supervised visits
with children
under the age of 16.
[Children chattering]
(Tripley)
See, he's soft.
Very nice.
[All chattering]
Tripley.
Got a call
from one of your neighbors
who found it very unsettling
to see so many kids
come through your door.
What's the special occasion?
They lower the age of consent?
That's not funny.
What is funny is a man
in your position
finding a reason to celebrate.
(Tripley)
My friends and associates
threw a party
to show their support.
The crowd looks
a little young.
There are plenty
of adults here.
Just make sure
there are no sleepovers.
(Tripley)
I'd invite you to stay,
detectives,
but we only want
positive energy here.
You must be wrong about him.
Don't tell me he donated
a boatload of cash
to your organization?
No, l I don't belong
to any organization.
I just met him today.
So, how'd you get on
the invite list?
He couldn't possibly
be guilty
with all the good things
that he's done.
I wrote him a letter
thanking him
and he invited
us to this party.
Us?
My granddaughter, April.
April?
April, come here a minute.
Are you having fun,
sweetie?
It's the best day
of my whole life.
Oh, good, good.
What kind of parents
would let their kids
around this guy
after the allegations
against him?
They can't tell he's a freak.
They don't care as long as
they're gettin' a handout.
The naive ones are just
blinded by his generosity.
Something tells me he's been
shoveling more money
on his problems.
Now what?
I'm just back from
a motion hearing with Zeirko.
Imagine my surprise
when he handed me this.
The story I told you
about Mr.
Tripley was a lie.
He never touched me.
He was never anything
but kind to me.
I apologize for any trouble
my lies may have caused him.
(Stabler)
Mr.
And Mrs.
Ostilow!
Open up this door
or we'll break it down again.
What do you want now?
Did Tripley get to you?
Did he threaten to enforce
the nondisclosure agreement?
If JJ's abuse was ever
discussed, then you'd have to
pay back all that nice money.
Lower your voices.
People can hear you.
Let us inside, then.
We just want
a quiet word with JJ.
He's not here.
Well, where is he?
He's getting over
this whole mess in a place
you'll never find him.
[Lock clicking]
How gone is JJ?
He hasn't shown up for school
and no one in his apartment
building's seen him.
We pulled their credit cards.
There's no tickets on them.
He's 12 years old.
Someone has to be
taking care of him.
We don't know.
We have
surveillance on the parents.
They're not visiting him.
They're saying they sent
their son on vacation.
That's not a crime.
That's hindering prosecution.
That's what I think,
but until I talk to JJ,
I can't prove it.
So what?
You're just gonna dismiss
the case against Billy?
(Novak)
I don't see what
other option I have.
We're talking about letting
a *** walk free.
Find one.
I'm not dropping the charges.
I admire your tenacity
but you know,
without a complaining witness,
your case is over.
Billy Tripley is guilty
of witness tampering.
Can you prove it?
Not yet, but I know
Tripley got to the parents,
threatened to enforce
the nondisclosure agreement.
Are you absolutely sure
that JJ recanted under duress?
I know that boy was molested.
JJ told Huang
he could identify
a birthmark on Billy's ***.
She doesn't get out much.
It's just so frustrating.
If a jury heard
the boy's original statement,
believe me,
they'd put Tripley away.
Well, unfortunately,
the boy's out of the picture.
And we can't very well
go around violating
a defendant's
Eighth Amendment right
to face his accuser.
We also can't allow
rich offenders
to buy their way
around justice
with nondisclosure agreements.
There's your loophole.
The NDA.
They're always
very carefully worded.
There's never
an admission of guilt.
But there might be
a mention of the boy,
and legally,
a minor can't enter
into a binding contract.
No, but his parents,
acting as his guardians, can.
But the question is,
were his parents
acting in his best interest?
If not, that boy deserves
a lawyer of his own.
And I think I know
just who it should be.
(Novak)
The People request
Jeremy Ostilow Jr.
Be appointed a
guardian ad litem.
What does that mean?
Is she trying to take away
custody of my son?
(Terhune)
No, Mr.
Ostilow.
Guardian ad litem
is a person
appointed by the court
to protect
the interests of a minor
for purposes of
legal matters only.
Your honor, there is
no legal matter.
And if there were, I've ably
represented the family
for several years.
"The family" meaning
the parents, not the child.
Everything I've done
has always been
in my son's best interest.
Everything you've done about
what, Mr.
Ostilow?
Are you referring to
the nondisclosure agreement?
[Whispering]
Any answer he gives
to that question
would constitute disclosure,
thereby breaching
the agreement.
(Novak)
This kind of
circular reasoning
is indicative of
the whole problem, Your Honor.
The court must
step in for the child.
I'll appoint a law guardian,
pro bono.
I'm available,
your honor.
Mary.
What kind of backroom deal
is this?
(Terhune)
The court would be honored.
Thank you, Joe.
I'm now representing
your son, Mr.
Ostilow.
I'll need
a copy of the agreement
between you and Mr.
Tripley.
This is a blatant
fishing expedition.
(Clark)
My client informed
authorities that
that agreement
pertains to him,
and it also impinged
on a criminal matter.
(Langan)
In a statement
he later recanted.
Begging the question, why?
(Clark)
Why did you take him
to the lawyer of the man
he had accused?
And why wouldn't you bring him
in to the police or the ADA?
Because he was scared
to death of them.
They knocked down our door,
arrested him,
interrogated him
and then put him
in a nuthouse.
He just told them what
they wanted to hear.
It was the only way to
get them to leave him alone.
Let me ask one more question:
Why, if Jeremy recanted
of his own volition,
are you hiding him?
I am not.
He just needed to get away.
Isn't it so he can't testify
against Billy Tripley?
No.
Mind if I ask him
that myself?
There's no way
you're going to talk to him.
In that case, I request
a Material Witness Order
to produce the child.
Your honor,
she's overreaching.
(Terhune)
No, but she's
right at the line.
I want the boy
produced in my chambers.
I'm going to
talk to him alone,
and then I'll
make a decision.
No.
Sir,
if you refuse to comply,
I'll be forced to find you
in contempt of court.
You don't want to go to jail,
do you, Mr.
Ostilow?
They actually
put him in jail?
He's playing the martyr.
Claims he's
protecting his son.
He's protecting
his millions.
JJ testifies,
he loses everything.
That gives him a big
incentive to sit tight.
I'll see that he sits there
till the boy turns 21,
if I have to.
They don't call her
the hanging judge for nothing.
Who? Who called me that?
No one.
Why wait for dad?
Let's find JJ ourselves.
We're doing
the best we can.
We've pulled phone
and credit card records.
So far nothin'.
(Clark)
I'll tell you the good thing
about working for
a rich law firm.
We've got resources
you civil servants
can't even dream about,
including a slew
of Pls on retainer.
They're at your disposal.
Billy Tripley's PR machine
is painting JJ
as a pathological liar.
We still can't find JJ.
(Jonas)
Det.
Benson?
Yeah?
They said I should
talk to you.
Well, why don't you
have a seat?
Thank you.
[Phone ringing]
How can I help you?
I run a program for
terminal patients.
Doing what, exactly?
Preparing them for death.
I'm a therapist.
This morning I counseled
a 9-year-old girl
dying of leukemia.
That must be hard.
It gets worse.
I believe she was sexually
molested by Billy Tripley.
(Nora)
It's all my fault.
I don't know how I
have been so stupid.
You got me.
You left your granddaughter
alone with this man?
We've seen him twice
since we met you.
Two days ago he threw a party
for kids just like April.
She's got leukemia?
Diagnosed a year ago.
Nothing the doctors are doing
seems to be helping,
so I'm searching
for alternative cures.
Where are April's parents?
I don't know.
There never was
a father in the picture.
My daughter got
mixed up with drugs,
abandoned April
right after she was born.
I'm all she has.
We're gonna need
to talk to April.
She had chemo this morning.
She's in maintenance, gets it
every two or three weeks.
She threw up all afternoon.
Well, she fell asleep
about an hour ago.
(Benson)
Thank you.
(Benson)
There you go.
I don't know
if I can keep it down.
Oh, honey,
try just a little.
We don't want you
dehydrating again.
(Benson)
We'll just talk as long as
you feel up to it,
okay, April?
So, can you tell me
what happened
at Billy Tripley's house?
There were
lots of kids there.
We played games,
really fun ones.
Hide-and-seek and stuff.
She got overexcited,
wore herself out.
Tell her what
Billy said to you.
That I could take a nap.
He said kids took naps there
all the time.
And did he take you
someplace to lie down?
A place just
for special kids.
Did Billy
have a name for it?
The Treasure Room.
Okay.
What happened there, April?
He said if I was good,
I got to pick a present
out of the treasure chest.
Did you get to pick a toy?
He said she could
have it after the nap.
He didn't want her to wrinkle
her pretty outfit.
He had pajamas she could wear.
He took her clothes off.
I'm sorry, Mrs.
Hodges.
I understand
how difficult this is,
but I really need to
hear it from April, okay?
Thank you.
Honey,
your nose is bleeding.
I'm sorry.
Oh, this happens
all the time.
Not that I wish it
on anybody else,
but why did it
have to be this girl?
Children with any disability
are twice as likely
to be sexually abused.
Cowards always target
the weakest prey.
They're more likely
to comply,
less likely to report.
Billy's been around
hundreds of
terminally ill kids.
Makes you wonder
how many died
before reporting abuse.
I knew he'd have
other victims.
I just wasn't
expecting a girl.
Sexually indiscriminate
pedophiles aren't uncommon.
His victims are
all prepubescent.
There's less anatomical
differences at that age.
It's more about
the hairlessness,
the innocence.
Billy's pretty
childlike himself.
Look at this lifestyle.
He lives
in a magical toy-land,
playing with kids.
It's the Peter Pan Syndrome
to the extreme.
(Tripley)
Look, that really hurts.
[Groaning]
Come on.
Are you gonna pull out
every hair on my head?
I have to make sure
we get one
with the root attached.
Ten hairs is
standard procedure.
Look, this is
police brutality.
Trust me, when you're
being brutalized by me,
you'll know it.
You just threatened me.
Did you hear him threaten me?
Nope.
Open wide.
And if you bite me,
I'll hurt you.
What's that for?
Oral swab.
No pain involved.
You know if you can't
take the pain,
you shouldn't go around
molesting 9-year-olds.
I never touched her,
not that way.
Nap time, the Treasure Room.
I can't bring myself
to go back in that room
since you people
desecrated it.
Please lower your
pants and underwear.
Why?
*** hair sample.
I'll need 10 of those
as well.
[Sighs]
I don't have any.
Any what?
(Tripley)
Hair.
Down there.
Stand up and strip.
(Warner)
Hmm.
I guess we can wait
till they grow back.
It's permanent.
I had laser hair removal.
[Whirring]
(Benson)
It just gets freakier
and freakier.
Notice where
his birthmark is?
Right where JJ
said it would be.
Now, if we only could find JJ.
I got a call
from the investigator
Conway Clark gave us.
He may have
picked up JJ's trail.
(Stabler)
Where does he think
he is?
Maine.
Clark's sending him
up there now.
April mention
any birthmarks?
No, she had her
eyes closed tight.
Have you seen
Tripley's bombshell?
(Stabler)
More like a firecracker.
His legal team
put a PI on Nora.
Followed her and April
into a department store
where he alerted security.
(Benson)
For what?
"Toy mogul's alleged victim
caught with
shoplifting granny.
"
So much for our
perfect witness.
It's not like it sounds.
Let me show you how it looks.
Tripley's private investigator
took a pretty clear picture
of it.
That's $200 worth
of merchandise you're
stuffing in your bag there.
Yes, it was all for April.
She needed clothes.
Well, that's no reason
to steal them.
I had to.
Her medical bills
have wiped me out.
I can't work because
she's sick all the time.
I didn't know
what else to do.
Tripley's lawyers are having
a field day with this.
Well, they can't
punish April
for my mistake.
They already have.
It's in the papers.
My granddaughter has
had a miserable life.
Both her parents
abandoned her,
she's dying of cancer,
and now she's been molested.
Please
let her know justice
at least once in her life.
Grandma muddied
the case big time.
Luckily she's not
the victim, April is.
You couldn't ask
for a more
sympathetic witness.
But I could ask
for a second one.
If the jury heard it
from April and JJ,
it'd be a lock.
I take it Mr.
Ostilow
is still sitting
in his cell?
Yeah, maintaining
his vow of silence.
Clark's private investigator
made it to Maine.
He thinks he's
got a bead on JJ.
What about April's *** kit?
Warner's still waiting
for the final results.
But she found a hair in
the girl's underwear.
It made a preliminary
match to Billy.
I heard he had
no hair to leave.
It's from his head.
Let me know when
the full kit's back.
I'll need all
the evidence I can get.
Huh.
I found something
that doesn't make sense.
Is that good or bad?
As part of the kit,
I drew blood to
check for STDs.
Please don't tell me
he gave her something.
This kid cannot
take another hit.
(Warner)
No.
CBC and differential
came back absolutely normal.
That's a good thing.
Yes, and that's the point.
Leukemia affects
the white blood cells.
I expected to find
abnormal metamyelocytes,
so I checked the smear.
Still nothing.
Meaning no sign of cancer?
(Warner)
None.
Could she be in remission?
It's a possibility.
But when leukemia is
diagnosed in a child,
the pediatric oncologist takes
a bone marrow biopsy
to confirm it.
It's done by
drilling small holes
in the pelvic bone.
They don't heal.
This is a pelvis
after a biopsy.
See the holes?
As part of April's
*** trauma exam,
I took a pelvic x-ray.
(Benson)
No holes.
They didn't do
a bone marrow biopsy.
She never had cancer.
It's a good thing
you brought her in
when you did.
Another few weeks,
she'd have been dead.
What's wrong with her?
Mercury poisoning.
(Stabler)
What?
There's a toxic level
in her system.
How was she
exposed to mercury?
Ingested it,
probably put
in her food.
Nora.
She was killing
her own granddaughter.
Judging by these levels,
I'd say for
almost a year now.
I don't understand.
She was going to doctors
for chemotherapy.
No.
She wasn't.
Her grandmother convinced
her they couldn't
afford a doctor.
Told her she was giving her
the medicines she needed,
but it had to be their secret.
(Stabler)
The medicine was actually
the mercury
which was making her sick.
Let me guess.
Leukemia and
mercury poisoning
have the same
side effects.
Both inhibit
cell growth.
Same nausea,
hair loss,
weight loss.
April honestly believed
she was dying.
Is she gonna be okay now?
Mercury weakens the bones,
so some of that damage
is permanent,
but at least she'll live.
You're gonna start
feeling better now.
They told me Gran's
the one who made me sick.
(Benson)
I'm sorry, April.
Looks like your gran
did a lot of bad things.
She lied about the leukemia.
Has she lied
about other things
that you know about?
The stuff I told you
about Billy.
(Stabler)
Okay, was any of it true?
Gran told me
to make friends with him.
I took a nap there once,
but just on the couch.
Well, you sure knew
a lot of details.
How did you know
what to say?
Gran read all the stories
about him in the papers.
She cut them out,
made a scrapbook.
She quizzed me
from it every day.
Do you know
where she keeps them?
In the kitchen,
between her cookbooks.
April,
we know that
you didn't want to do it.
She said it was
my only chance.
If we didn't get the money,
I'd die.
I just didn't want to die.
Sweetheart,
you're not going to.
Gran said she loved me,
but how could she make me sick
if she loved me?
(Nora)
I don't know
what's wrong with me.
I love that little girl.
Funny way of
showing it.
I never wanted to hurt her.
There must be something
wrong with me.
There is.
It's called
Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome.
(Nora)
What is that?
A recognized
psychological disorder
that causes a parent to
make their child sick
because of a pathological
need for attention.
So let's talk
about the Tripley scam.
Well, that was April's lie,
and I believed it.
We have the scrapbook.
Well, it's not as though he's
an innocent victim, is it?
He's a ***.
He deserved it.
I'd just as soon clear
this one off the books.
Fill in the blanks
and I won't charge you
with the fraud counts
related to it.
It sounds like you
know everything already.
Crime lab found a hair
in April's underwear.
During the party,
I snuck into his room
and I took it
from his hairbrush.
When they asked me
for the clothes
she'd been wearing,
I'd already planted it.
Do you have any idea
how much damage
you've caused?
But you agree with me.
He deserved it.
He deserves
to go to jail.
Thanks to you, he can
claim he's a victim
of a false allegation
every time a legitimate one
comes up in the future.
I'm sorry.
I don't believe you,
but you'll have a good long
time to pay for it in prison.
We just made a deal.
I'm not charging her
with fraud on Tripley.
I'm charging her
with fraud for
the cancer scam.
Munchausen.
Bull.
She's been working
this for a year.
Totaling all the bake sales,
canister donations
and Internet solicitations,
she's bilked people
out of $60,000.
What are you offering?
(Novak)
Not a thing.
I'm taking you to trial.
Please, please think of April.
There is no one else
to look after her.
You've got to be
kidding me.
What you were doing
nearly killed her.
I'm charging you with fraud
and attempted ***.
But you heard what she said.
I'm sick.
No jury's that stupid.
They'll see it
wasn't Munchausen,
just pure,
unadulterated greed.
Well, we found JJ.
Where?
He was with
an uncle up in Maine.
My PI got close,
but we just missed him.
What happened?
They crossed
the border into Canada.
The Material Witness Order
doesn't extend that far.
I don't have
the authority
to bring him back.
(Fin)
Unbelievable.
Two cases against Billy
and both of them blown up.
He's the Teflon ***.
What happens
with JJ's father?
Now we know where JJ is,
we'll have to notify
the court.
Oh, that's nice.
He gets out of jail
and keeps the money, huh?
(Clark)
Oh, no.
Sending his son
out of our jurisdiction
does not vacate the order.
Until he produces that kid,
I am keeping his *** in jail.
This, you've got to see
to believe.
Billy is having
a victory party.
(reporter)
Billy, do you harbor
any resentment?
(Benson)
He invited the media.
I do feel sorry
for that little girl.
She was as much
a victim as I was.
The mood in here
is pretty festive.
I've been vindicated,
but the real winners
are the children.
One of these kids is
gonna be his next victim.
[Children cheering]
It's sick.
We'll get him.
He'll give us
a lot more chances.
[All clamoring]
[All clapping]
[All cheering]
[All shouting]