Original subtitles

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.

Open the gate!

So they let you out.

21 years, 5 months, and 3 days.

But who's counting?

Thanks for coming, Dorsey.

Wipe that smirk off your face, you bastard.

All these years, you still hate me.

Hanging onto anger is really unhealthy.

Your act may have fooled the parole board,

but not me.

You need to let go.

Not a chance.

When you do it again, I'll be waiting.

Follow me around all you want,

but you're gonna get bored.

I've been rehabilitated.

You'll always be a rapist, Schenkel!

I guess this is it, then.

See you, Dorsey.

Bet on it!

You mind if I sit here?

Tell me what happened.

I spent the weekend with my aunt in Pittsburgh.

I took the bus back and was walking to the subway.

And he grabbed me.

And he raped me.

Take deep breath, honey, it's okay.

We should get her to Mercy.

All right, I'll ride with her, get her statement

at the hospital.

I'll meet you back at the house.

Detective!

William Dorsey, retired, out of the Six-Seven Squad.

Elliot Stabler, Special Victims.

You see something?

I heard the call on my scanner.

Got here as soon as I could. I can help.

Tell you what, we appreciate that,

but we got everything under control.

Thank you.

Stabler!

Give me the time of day, I'll give you the perp.

Summer of '84.

Ray Schenkel and his cousin, big galoot named Carl,

raped eight young girls.

Took me 10 months, but I collared him.

You kept the clipping all this time, huh?

I knew he'd do it again. Knew it in my bones.

Didn't wanna forget.

You understand.

And now he's out.

Released from Elmira this morning.

Took the bus back.

Eight rapes.

Why'd he only get 20 years?

We only nailed Grey on one.

Claimed his cousin Carl did the others alone.

And Carl pointed the finger at Ray.

Ray gave the orders, picked the victims,

Carl followed them.

I came out of Port Authority,

and he was walking down 42nd Street.

He came up behind me, pushed me into the alley.

Did you see his face?

No.

He grabbed my T-shirt and pulled it over my head.

I couldn't--I couldn't move my arms.

I couldn't breathe.

Carl was the muscle.

He'd blitz the girl from behind,

then yank a pillowcase over her head.

He'd throw the girl in their old van,

and then Ray'd let him have a little taste.

Then Carl would drive around

while Ray kept raping the girl in back.

Longest they ever held a girl was 16 hours.

One minute he was on top of me,

pulling my pants down, and then he was gone.

Did he say anything?

He'd make them kneel, say their prayers,

cock his gun, pull the trigger.

The gun was empty.

Then he'd rape them again.

Ray's your perp.

He may not have left his DNA,

but he raped that girl today,

and he'll do it again.

'Til you put him back in jail.

Or he's in his grave.

The old guy's locked on Ray.

I don't know.

There's a lot of differences between then and now.

And Ray worked with a partner,

he only struck at night,

and he used his rape-mobile.

The attacks are the same.

It's a T-shirt instead of a pillowcase.

And Ray was at Port Authority when Kelly Browning

was attacked.

We gotta talk to him.

I'm sending Elliot down to One P.P.

to pull the old case files.

You and Olivia pick up Ray.

Corrections released him to a halfway house

on Rivington.

Ray Schenkel!

Welcome wagon?

Paddy wagon.

Whatever it was, I didn't do it.

I just came back to town this morning.

We heard.

So where you been since you got off the bus?

Took a walk through Times Square.

Looking for a peep show or a hooker?

I wanted to see the Deuce.

It's amazing how much they've cleaned it up.

So where'd you go next, huh?

I went straight on out 6th avenue.

Checked out Bryant Park.

Then I took a little detour here

and said hello to the Flatiron Building.

You talk to anybody?

And say what?

I just got out of prison, nice to meet you?

You know, go into a store,

buy yourself a cup of coffee, anything like that?

I went to Gray's Papaya on 8th Street.

Got a hot dog for 75 cents.

Still the best deal in town.

Also one of the busiest joints in town.

No chance they'll remember you.

I didn't know I'd need an alibi.

A girl gets raped, and I'm on the radar?

Who said anything about rape?

Well, I'm a convicted sex offender.

Round up the usual suspects, right?

I'm not making any excuses for what I did.

But I've had a lot of time to confront my demons

and become a better man.

Or a lot of time for your sick fantasies to fester.

You the same guy you were 20 years ago?

This ain't about me.

No, it's about Detective Dorsey.

He got to you.

He doesn't believe I've changed,

and neither do you.

What kind of fool would rape a woman

the day he gets out of prison?

You, Ray.

'Cause there's no cure for sex offenders.

Yes, there is.

You spend 21 years locked up in a cage.

Being told when you can eat, when you can sleep,

when you can take a piss.

Freedom's a precious thing.

I'll never risk losing it again.

Ray Schenkel's good at acting innocent.

Well, we can't be sure he's not.

These cats don't change.

Once a rapist, always a rapist.

Statistics say that one out of two

will rape again.

Ray could be a changed man.

Before we lynch this guy,

I want some hard evidence.

Got it.

Ruined my clothes digging the files

out of archives.

Take a look at this.

Long dark brown hair. Shy smile.

Tell me they don't remind you of Kelly Browning.

We can't get tunnel vision.

We have to look at every possible suspect.

Take Munch and recanvass Port Authority.

Let me tail Ray for a couple days.

Detective Dorsey's got you all worked up

about Ray Schenkel.

You ever consider that maybe he's wrong?

But if he's right, Parole needs to put Ray

under tighter supervision.

Craig Lennon at sex offender parole.

Very tough guy. Lemme just talk to him.

Fine.

But turn over the case.

Watching Ray Schenkel is parole's job, not ours.

And change your clothes.

I'm here to see Parole Officer Lennon.

Sit down and wait 'til you're called.

This yours?

Go ahead. Thanks.

Wow! You see that?

Yeah.

Who's your P.O.?

Hmm?

Who's your P.O.?

Lennon.

Oh.

He's mine too.

This is my first report. Cool.

Any advice on how to handle him?

You just play it straight, you don't jerk him around,

you'll be fine, you know?

Where were you?

Elmira.

You?

Attica.

Elliot?

Look, I know I'm late for my appointment.

I'm apologize, okay?

I'm sorry.

Yeah, you're damn right, McEvoy.

Get your sorry ass in here.

Good luck.

McEvoy? Where'd you get that?

What am I, a mind reader?

What's with the "I don't know you" routine?

This Schenkel.

We got our eye on him.

And?

He thinks I'm a fellow parolee.

Are you sure he didn't make you?

He didn't see me at the squad, so...

What do you got planned for him?

Intensive supervision.

Early curfew, random searches.

No contact with kids.

No car. That's it?

He has to get a job, go to treatment.

What kind of treatment?

Eight pervs in a room, pouring out their guts

to a therapist.

Meets upstairs.

I was convicted of six counts of rape.

Be specific, Pete.

I forced sexual intercourse on a woman.

We met in a bar, I was drunk.

No excuses.

Drunk or sober-- I know.

It's my responsibility.

All right. Leo?

I sexually abused three women.

They were my patients. I was their dentist.

And now our new members.

Ray Schenkel.

I abducted and raped a teenage girl.

And you?

Elliot McEvoy.

Call me Mack.

Rape Two. Statutory.

My stepdaughter.

What the hell are you doing?

- I saw an opening. - I acted.

Without clearing it.

Craig Lennon at Parole knows what I'm doing.

He put me in the group.

You don't work for him.

I'll be sitting around with a bunch of sex offenders

- talking about their urges. - A therapy group.

You're violating the privacy of every man in there.

There's no confidentiality!

The therapist reports everything back to Parole.

They know that.

C'mon Elliot that's not what I'm talking about.

I'll get him to talk to me.

Ray had a partner before. He needs one now.

I'm it.

I promise I'll stop him before he hits again.

You're gonna stop him how?

Today you used the police entrance at Parole.

Undercover, you're gonna go through the metal detector

like a perp-- No gun, no shield.

Son of a bitch!

Hey, Mack.

Joining me here at the Ritz?

Yeah, well, I was crashing at my sister's place

until the next-door neighbor found out

I wasn't in the joint for bank robbery.

Your own sister threw you out?

Punk next door says,

"I'm gonna burn down your house

unless he gets out."

So what are you gonna do?

The Bible says to love thy neighbor, huh?

Folks in Cincinnati still do.

Community got together and paid a guy like us

20 grand to move.

How about a snort?

I can't.

Staying sober's one of my parole conditions.

Oh, that's cool.

Plus, you know, we're not supposed

to socialize outside of group.

Oh, really?

Then how come Parole put us in the same place together?

It's cheaper to watch us, I guess.

Cheaper, yeah.

Have a good night.

All right.

Ray Schenkel isn't showing much interest

in getting close to Elliot.

Maybe he's not your perp.

Or he doesn't want a new partner.

Cousin Carl gave him up last time.

It's safer to work solo.

I don't think so.

Rapists team up because they feed off each other.

Ray needs an audience to perform.

Then why is he doing it alone?

If Ray is the rapist, I'd say his first rape

was an act of sexual release.

After 20 years in prison, that's a powerful urge.

He gets off the bus,

jumps the first girl he sees.

Sooner or later, Ray's gonna return

to his old pattern.

It's too fused with his sexuality to change.

So when's Ray gonna pick a new partner?

When he finds one who meets his needs.

Elliot being available is not enough.

He needs to make himself attractive to Ray.

Ray is gonna look for

a submissive partner.

One who's a risk taker.

Impulsive, but not a threat to his authority.

We've gotta give Elliot the opportunity

to show Ray that he's the right guy.

Come on, Lennon, I'm following your rules.

I'm doing everything you asked.

Why are you letting this detective harass me?

You have a complaint? Put it in writing.

Hey, could you take it easy with that?

See, that's crap! You're a punk.

Let it go, Mack. It's just a radio.

Radios don't have civil rights.

Right, right, and parolees don't have rights either?

You lookin' for a problem?

You're the one with a problem, punk.

Get back to your room, McEvoy.

Now.

Back up.

Do what he says, Mack. He's not worth it.

Aaargh!

- Okay, back to jail. - Come on!

Come on! No!

This is police brutality!

Shut your hole!

Get off me!

I got witnesses right here!

Nobody's seen squat.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm not a-scared of you.

Take me in.

Shut up!

Huang wants to talk to you.

I wanna be pulled out, I'll ask to be pulled out.

If I wanna see you, I'll ask to see you.

I need to brief you.

I'll ask for a briefing if I think I need one.

Elliot, are you okay?

What do you wanna tell me?

The treatment group meets tonight.

Okay, I know how rapists act.

Thank you.

In interrogation, but not with each other.

They are predators.

They know how to read people.

You're never gonna fool them.

Or the therapist.

That therapist?

Let me tell you about the therapist.

Those guys got him wrapped around their finger.

He's an idiot.

Well, I checked with the idiot,

and he's administering a diagnostic test

before the session tonight.

Do you know how to beat it?

What kind of test?

A sexual interest assessment.

The peter meter.

Similar, but without

the penile cuff.

He's gonna show you some pictures of women,

men, small children, teenagers.

Suggestive, but not explicit.

That's it?

Okay, so I'll pick the teenage girls.

This test is a joke.

You don't think those guys aren't gonna lie?

The test ignores the numerical response.

It times how long you took to look at each image.

Okay, what else are they gonna ask me?

I never saw Tanya as a sex object.

She was always my girlfriend's daughter.

And then there was this one day.

Rene just keeps going on about...

how Tanya has to start wearing a bra, you know, and...

I look over and all of a sudden...

you know... I started reacting.

You got an erection.

Yeah, but it's not like I wanted to.

You know, it just happened.

Like I was a kid or something.

But you acted on your arousal.

Not until she was 13.

You know, and...

She started going online.

And, um...

I'd send her emails.

And she'd flirt with me.

All these questions about boys and sex.

It just seemed like she wanted me to do it.

That's a cop-out.

She's a kid. You had sex with her.

It's wrong.

Don't you think I know that?

I went to prison for what I did.

You went to prison

because you got caught.

And since your arrest,

have you been thinking about your stepdaughter?

I just remember kissing her and touching her.

Just can't make those memories go away.

I'm afraid...

that I-I'd do it again.

How's that make you feel?

I hate myself.

What do you do with all that hate?

I get mad and I want to hurt someone.

If you can't learn to control your temper,

you'll lose everything.

It's been a long session.

Next time we'll learn some techniques

to help control our urges.

Talk about urges,

I'd kill for a burger and fries.

You hungry?

You really gotta smarten up.

Remember the rule, we're not supposed to hang out.

Cool, cool.

Guess you don't want a ride, either.

What, you got a car?

A loaner from the body shop that I'm working at.

What can I tell ya?

I had to pick up stuff from my sister's house.

What the hell?

How'd you get a job with a sheet like yours?

My sister made her husband hire me.

He didn't want to, but, you know,

I can rebuild a transmission better than him.

Lennon won't let me own a car.

Ballbuster won't let me use a computer.

Least I can drive.

I tell you, a couple more paychecks, though,

I'm getting me some wheels.

Oh yeah? You got your eyes on something?

Some crappy four-doors.

Panel van.

Camaro.

How much?

800, 900.

I could lend it to you.

I got an uncle who died, left me some money.

And you're just gonna trust me

to pay you back, huh?

It's not like you're gonna rip me off.

I know where you live.

Get the van.

We could have a good time with it.

You're not a fag, are you?

No.

I thought we could use it to pick up some girls.

You in?

Oh, yeah.

What's with the van?

Ray gave me the money to buy it.

That's enough to violate Ray's parole,

send him back to prison.

For 18 months?

What? You gonna give him the van?

I'm not gonna give him the keys.

I'm just... giving him an opportunity.

You'd have to let Ray go far enough

to charge him with attempted rape.

We'd be responsible for traumatizing the girl.

We could use a female undercover

as a decoy.

Ray likes 'em young.

We just need to find a cop who can pass for a teenager.

All right.

But I want safeguards.

You put all the bells and whistles

on that van.

Looks good!

Looks like crap.

No one's gonna give it a second glance.

Cold plates.

If Ray gets someone to run 'em,

it comes back to a body shop in Hunt's Point.

License and registration under your new alias.

Check this out.

Bird dog?

GPS transponder.

Feeds the van's location to the squad computers

or a handheld.

Three fiber optic cameras.

There, there, and there.

Plus mics.

Real time? No.

But they all dump to digital tape.

And that's not all.

I got Ryan to hook up a little insurance policy.

Turn the AC on, audio preset five,

left turn signal.

Check the trap.

Throw down.

Can't drive around unprotected.

Ray's gonna dig this.

Go for a ride?

Let's break her in.

Where to?

Go west, young man.

They're on the move.

Heading east on Houston.

Copy that.

I'll get ahead of 'em and drop the decoy.

We could go out to the Rockaways,

maybe Jones Beach.

Stay in closer, maybe hit Coney Island.

Check out the Boardwalk.

Check her out.

That's hot.

Fox is in the henhouse.

He's spotted her.

Maintain visual contact.

Copy that.

Speed up.

How come? Just do it.

Pull over at this corner over here.

They're stopping at Houston and Orchard.

Keep going. I got the eyeball.

What are we gonna do? Sit here all day?

Shut up.

He's going for it.

Let's go!

Where?

Group.

Come on, I don't wanna be late.

Let's go.

I'm pulling Elliot out.

Captain, trust his instincts.

I did. He was wrong.

Ray still could have raped the girl

at the bus station.

And he could rape again.

We dangled some beautiful bait in front of his nose,

and he walked away.

He could have made Lucy as a cop.

And maybe he's not a rapist anymore.

If he has changed, baiting him is like

putting a bottle of scotch in front of a guy

with two weeks sobriety.

Elliot isn't encouraging him to do it.

Captain, recovery is the same for alcoholics

or for sex offenders.

Some people have the willpower to change,

others don't.

And that makes what we're doing okay?

If Ray's rehabilitated, I will be the first one

to apologize.

But if he's still a rapist...

we have to stop him.

You gotta leave Elliot in.

I went to see my old girlfriend.

We were hanging out.

She was smiling, touching me on the arm.

And I went to kiss her, and she shoved me away.

Told me she didn't have those kind of feelings

for me anymore.

How'd that make you feel?

I wanted to hit her.

What'd you do?

I left.

Controlled your impulses.

Good work, Pete.

Anyone want to comment?

Mack?

No, I don't feel like talking.

What Pete says make me feel hopeful.

I know that coming here won't stop me

from having the desires,

but it'll help me control 'em.

Well, whenever you have inappropriate fantasies,

imagine it's being broadcast from your mind

and everyone around can hear you.

McEvoy, I want to see you in my office.

- Oh, I gotta go. - Stay.

Or you'll be in violation of your parole.

Mack, you can't just show up.

You have to participate in group.

Yeah, I gotta talk more. I got it.

I don't think you do. Have a seat.

I really gotta get out of here.

Sit down.

What's going on?

Got a lot on my mind.

I can see you're under pressure.

And I'm handling it.

You have someone you can lean on?

Family?

No.

You can't fight your battle alone.

That's why you're in group.

So you can talk about your problems

so you don't act them out.

Well, you know, that's not how I was raised.

Now, my P.O. sends me here, so I'm here, okay?

I'm here.

When you're not in charge,

you get angrier than most people.

Mack...

rage and lust are hungry beasts inside of us.

The more we feed them, the stronger they get.

Stop fighting things you can't change.

Hey, Mack!

What the hell are you still doing here?

That friggin' shrink kept me in there forever.

Yeah, I wanted to make sure you were okay.

Guy's got a hard-on for you.

Yeah, I can handle him.

You know it's almost curfew?

I mean, I got an excuse,

but they're gonna put your ass in a sling if you're late.

Not the way I drive.

Give me the keys.

Keys!

All right.

A little hopped up there, my friend.

I've planned some relaxation.

What's with the piece?

I got it from a guy in a bar down the street.

I had a drink while I was waiting for you.

Oh, yeah? Fell off the wagon.

It's time for you and I to have some fun.

Take a look in back.

Captain, something's up.

Elliot just drove past the halfway house

and didn't stop.

What's his position?

Eastbound on Delancy Street.

What's going on?

Not sure.

The van's heading for the river.

And over the Williamsburg Bridge.

Go.

Ho, ho, van's stopped.

We're way out in the boondocks.

They're not taking a joy ride.

What is this place?

Remember I told you about my uncle who died?

This is his factory.

Used to make machine parts.

Give me a hand over here.

I'll be right there.

This is my play.

You do as you're told, understand?

Yeah.

What'd you do, pick the lock to get in here?

Boy, are you a genius.

Put her down here.

What now?

You go first.

Well, you know, you found her.

I wanna watch.

Take the next left.

They're about a mile and a half up ahead.

So what's the problem? Don't you like her?

No, she's good.

Well, then, what's the hold-up?

I...

I can't do this in front of another guy.

That's all.

Performance anxiety.

It happens to the best of us.

I'll give you some privacy, since it's your first time.

Thanks.

Listen to me. Listen.

I'm a cop. I'm a cop.

I know you're scared, but you gotta listen to me.

You've gotta stay calm.

You gotta stay calm and listen to me.

I'm gonna rip the tape off of your mouth,

and when I do you've gotta scream

like I'm hurting you. Do you understand?

Come on. Come here.

Come here. Look at me.

Now, the gate over there.

When I tell you to run, I need you to run

as fast you can. Do you understand me?

All right.

Okay, you ready?

That's my boy!

Run.

Come on.

Come back here!

Aaaah!

Yaaah!

Go! Go!

You made a big mistake.

I'm a cop!

I'm a cop. It's over, Ray.

You think it's over just 'cause the girl's gone?

It's not over.

You and me, we're just getting started.

Walk towards the van.

I got backup all over this place, Ray.

Oh, yeah? I wonder how they found us.

One gun against 50 cops, those are bad odds.

I'll take my chances.

You cops are so predictable.

Even if your friends are outside...

It's just you and me in here.

We lost the signal.

Could be hiding anywhere.

We're gonna need a chopper with infra-red.

SVU portable to ESU truck 5 on the air.

Go ahead, SVU.

We need aviation on the scene.

Fin, listen.

Help me!

Somebody please help me!

Where are they?

I don't know.

Wake up, sleepyhead.

Well, let's get this over with.

I've always been a great judge of character.

So I've been sitting here wondering

how I could have been so wrong about you.

Maybe I wasn't.

Some of that stuff you said was a pile of crap,

but the rest of it, that was no act.

I see who you are.

You and me...

we're brothers under the skin.

People think sex offenders are different.

We're like aliens.

Drooling fiends lurking in the bushes.

But we're just like everybody else.

Why are pictures of young girls

plastered all over billboards?

Half-naked, mouths open, legs spread,

peddling ass to sell clothes.

If it didn't turn us on, they wouldn't do it.

You're only doing what other men dream of.

But your dreams are much darker, aren't they?

You try to hide the evil inside,

but I know it's there.

I can smell it.

You lured me in, you set me up.

You became my friend and now you're taking me down.

I bet you're pretty proud of yourself, aren't you?

But your hands are dirty.

You're the one that gave me the van.

You egged me on.

You wanted me to rape again.

Don't make this my fault.

You grabbed that girl yourself.

You can tell yourself that

if it makes you feel better.

But you and I both know that that's a lie.

You wanted me to do it.

You're as guilty as I am.

We've got company.

This way.

Stay in the car. Lock the doors.

I knew you had a gun stashed in there!

I looked all over that van.

You've been wanting this

to happen all along, haven't you?

You planned this whole thing!

You don't wanna arrest me.

You want me dead!

What are you waitin' on?

Elliot!

Coming out!

I'm okay.

He needs a doctor, though.