Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)
September 20, 1999
∙27 seasons
∙589 episodes
∙7.9 / 10
Hope in the darkness.
Overview
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.
Episode 1
Payback
Detectives Stabler and Benson investigate the murder and dismemberment of a taxi driver; the team discovers that he may have been a vicious Serbian war criminal living in the United States under a false identity.
44 min
September 20, 1999
Episode 2
A Single Life
Benson and Stabler run into multiple dead ends while investigating the case of a woman who plummeted six stories to her death clad only in a slip.
43 min
September 27, 1999
Episode 3
...Or Just Look Like One
When a teen model is murdered and another is left for dead at a hospital emergency room, the team uncovers an insidious drug and sex conspiracy in the world of high fashion. Benson and Stabler enter into a modeling underworld of thoughtless parents, drug-dealing doctors and a trendy agency executive.
43 min
October 4, 1999
Episode 4
Hysteria
When a young African-American woman is found dead, she is initially believed to be a prostitute and the latest in a long line of victims, but when looking into her home life Benson and Stabler realize that she does not fit the pattern, and may not be connected to the other deaths after all, but the other deaths have a connection no one anticipated.
43 min
October 11, 1999
Episode 5
Wanderlust
When a world-traveling author is found dead in a room he rented from an alcoholic woman and her precocious 14-year-old daughter, the detectives are shocked to discover who the murderer is.
44 min
October 18, 1999
Episode 6
Sophomore Jinx
A female student at an upper-class university is raped and murdered, and two of the college’s basketball stars are suspected. However, the college blocks their investigation at every turn because they are not willing to risk the negative publicity that the investigation could bring to the school and the upcoming championship.
43 min
October 25, 1999
Episode 7
Uncivilized
When a young boy is found raped and murdered in a field, suspicion leads detectives to a recently paroled child molester who lives in the neighborhood.. Although they both hate what the man has done in the past, it is soon obvious to the detectives that the teenagers who initially steered them in the man's direction are hiding secrets of their own.
44 min
November 15, 1999
Episode 8
Stalked
When an assistant district attorney is found raped and murdered in Central Park, the Special Victims Unit learn that she’d been stalked by a real estate agent whom she’d convicted of date rape. Benson lets her emotions get the best of her as she takes it upon herself to bring the suspected rapist to justice. Stabler tries to get the man's business partner to help him, but Benson may be the one who ends up needing help.
44 min
November 22, 1999
Episode 9
Stocks & Bondage
An investment analyst is found hanged in her bedroom, and the Special Victims Unit explores her sordid sexual past to uncover her murderer’s identity. The team uncovers the world of bondage and sado-masochism where they first investigate the woman's colleagues but are soon on the trail of a host of individuals involved in the world of whips and chains.
44 min
November 29, 1999
Episode 10
Closure
When a woman is raped, she turns to the Special Victims Unit for help, but lack of evidence prevents them from apprehending the criminal. When the detectives revisit the case a few months later, they find the woman even less willing to talk about what happened, as she claims she has moved on. Things turn sticky when Benson and Cassidy spend the night together.
44 min
January 7, 2000
Episode 11
Bad Blood
A moral coalition leader’s gay son is found murdered on the roof of his apartment building. Initially, Benson and Stabler investigate his father, a Conservative well-known for his homophobic viewpoints, but once they start looking into the young man's living arrangements they realize the person they're looking for may be closer than they think. Munch tries to help Benson find the man who raped her mother, and could potentially be her father.
44 min
January 14, 2000
Episode 12
Russian Love Poem
When a multi-millionaire is found strangled in his home, Benson and Stabler turn their suspicion to his long list of lovers, which includes both men and women. Detectives discover he was involved with a group of beautiful Russian women that came to the U.S. to take advantage of wealthy Americans.
44 min
January 21, 2000
Episode 13
Disrobed
A judge who fought for the rights of abused women is found shot in his car under sordid circumstances, and the detectives uncover a case of corruption that leads to the state parole board. The team soon turns their eye to a battered wife with a secret.
44 min
February 4, 2000
Episode 14
Limitations
At the request of a victim, the police commissioner comes to Cragen with a special request -- close the five-year-old case of a serial rapist before the statute of limitations expires. The detectives finally get a lead but the investigation is hindered by one of the victims.
44 min
February 11, 2000
Episode 15
Entitled (I)
After a salesman is murdered, the detectives turn their attention to the youngest daughter of a well-known family with some deep connections. But as they join forces with the officers from the two-seven, they realize that their case is connected with a long-unsolved case that Briscoe once handled years ago with his former partner Mike Logan. The crossover continues in Law & Order S10E14 Entitled (II).
44 min
February 18, 2000
Episode 16
The Third Guy
An elderly woman is found tied up and sexually assaulted in her apartment, and suspicion is initially on the young men that had broken into her home and robbed her, but once the detectives are surprised to learn that the rape was committed after the robbery – by someone else.
44 min
February 25, 2000
Episode 17
Misleader
The pregnant daughter-in-law of a Christian College president is murdered in her hotel room, and the detectives discover that the man had been involved in some very unholy activities.
44 min
March 31, 2000
Episode 18
Chat Room
When a teenage girl comes into the squad room to tell the detectives that she was raped by a man she met on the Internet, the investigation leads the Special Victims Unit to a network of pedophiles and child pornographers.
43 min
April 14, 2000
Episode 19
Contact
After seven young women in a six month time span are raped by a flash and dash assailant on the city subways, the brass calls in a psychiatrist to help the team get into the head of the perp. When he is caught, he possesses the driver's license of a new victim who could put him away.
42 min
April 28, 2000
Episode 20
Remorse
A female television news reporter decides to go public with her story when she attacked and raped by two men, but the decision proves to be fatal.
44 min
May 5, 2000
Episode 21
Nocturne
After a pharmacy turns over some disturbing photos of a young boy, a beloved neighborhood piano teacher is suspected of being a sexual predator who takes advantage of his innocent young students.
43 min
May 12, 2000
Episode 22
Slaves
A Romanian immigrant is being held as a psychological prisoner by her abusive employer and his wife, who is also traumatized by years of abuse and is willing to commit murder to protect her husband. A forensic psychologist analyzes the team, and presents disturbing findings to Cragen, suggesting that one of the detectives be removed from the team.
44 min
May 21, 2000
Episode 1
Wrong Is Right
Stabler's daughter bears witness to a horrific crime scene: a rocket scientist found dead with his crotch on fire. The scientist had strong ties to government security and detectives must determine if that had something to do with his demise. The internal investigation into the psyches of the SVU detectives yields interesting results.
44 min
October 20, 2000
Episode 2
Honor
The vicious sexual assault and brutal beating of an Afghan diplomat's daughter uncovers clues that may suggest Taliban traditions justify 'honor killings' when the child defies the wishes of their parents or their culture; the trail leads close to home.
44 min
October 27, 2000
Episode 3
Closure (2)
Stabler and Benson investigate a sexual assault very similar to one they worked six months ago whose victim follows her alleged attacked and reports his activities to the police.
43 min
November 3, 2000
Episode 4
Legacy
An abused 7-year-old girl lays comatose as the detectives investigate members of her dysfunctional family to determine the source of the abuse, in a case that hits close to home for Munch.
44 min
November 10, 2000
Episode 5
Baby Killer
The tragic shooting death of a young girl leads investigators to a little boy, and they soon realize that the gun used has been used in another crime scene and a drug ring using young kids as pawns.
43 min
November 17, 2000
Episode 6
Noncompliance
The question of patients' rights surfaces when a schizophrenic man refusing to take his medication is suspected in the rape and stabbing death of an aspiring psychologist, whose body is found in a convenience store.
44 min
November 24, 2000
Episode 7
Asunder
It’s a classic case of “he said, she said” when a cop’s wife charges him with rape. The truth behind the alleged rape comes to light when a history of domestic abuse is uncovered.
44 min
December 1, 2000
Episode 8
Taken
The case of a seventeen-year-old rape victim during a gala for the opening of a luxury hotel takes a strange turn when her immediate family tries to keep the scandal quiet. Detectives soon discover that the girl isn't the innocent that she pretends to be. Benson struggles to deal with her mother's death and she learns about her past.
44 min
December 15, 2000
Episode 9
Pixies
The investigation of a young gymnast's murder involves her strict trainer, a wealthy benefactor and a competitor. Detectives must look into her pressured lifestyle to find out who did it.
44 min
January 12, 2001
Episode 10
Consent
A college co-ed is found raped and dazed after a frat party, but can't remember anything that happened. The detectives then find that she had a date rape drug in her system, leaving them with many suspects and accomplices, tho the victim is reluctant to press charges.
44 min
January 19, 2001
Episode 11
Abuse
Parental neglect may have led to the tragic death of the son of two famous singers, leading them to fear for his sister. Benson develops a strong attachment to the girl who has a history of serious injuries.
44 min
January 26, 2001
Episode 12
Secrets
An exceptional teacher, who helped inner city kids get into college, led a dangerous double life as a sex addict. When she is murdered, there is a long list of suspects but the case hits a snag after the woman's illicit sexual history is exposed.
44 min
February 2, 2001
Episode 13
Victims
A former police officer, now a community activist, is a suspect in the murders of known sex offenders, all of whom share a certain characteristic that scars their victims for life. The detectives find it's difficult to protect potential victims when they used to be perps as they investigate the murders of two convicted rapists.
44 min
February 9, 2001
Episode 14
Paranoia
The mysterious rape of a veteran police officer, who trained Benson, is first linked to her ex-husband's gambling debts, and then to her fellow officers. It turns into a nightmare investigation as the IAB tries to thwart the SVU squad's efforts.
44 min
February 16, 2001
Episode 15
Countdown
The detectives become a little edgy after working around the clock to find an abducted girl when clues point to a serial murderer and rapist who kills his victims on the third day. After trapping the killer, they are prepared to give him the death penalty until they find out that one of his victims was never found and he offers her location as a plea bargain.
44 min
February 23, 2001
Episode 16
Runaway
The search for an out-of-state police officer's runaway daughter leads the detectives through an underground rave culture that caters to wayward teens. They use an Internet journalist to track her and their search is seen through the eyes of the squad room personnel as told in their interviews with the Internal Affairs division.
43 min
March 2, 2001
Episode 17
Folly
Male escorts are assaulted and one is murdered, and the police have a tough time finding the bizarre couple whose sexual fantasy has turned violent. The investigation uncovers a dangerous male escort service where the boss may have reasons for sending her staff on potentially deadly dates.
44 min
March 23, 2001
Episode 18
Manhunt
The details of a kidnapping are similar to a series of rapes and murders that may link the crime to a serial killer.
44 min
April 20, 2001
Episode 19
Parasites
The remains of a Romanian woman are found three years after her death, buried in an apartment courtyard with a collar and leash. The detectives have a tough time finding the killer until a composite photo leads them to the victim's identical twin sister.
44 min
April 27, 2001
Episode 20
Pique
Observed by an FBI psychiatrist, the detectives uncover a horrifying motive for the slaying of a software company employee by a fired colleague when they learn of the suspect's bizarre relationship with his overbearing mother and a strange sexual fetish called piquerism.
44 min
May 4, 2001
Episode 21
Scourge
A "Jack the Ripper" type murderer, who justifies his crimes with paranoid religious motivation set on by a rapidly deteriorating medical condition, is on the loose. After a citywide manhunt, Detectives Benson and Stabler are tasked with finding the killer.
44 min
May 16, 2001
Episode 1
Repression
An 18-year-old girl is aided by her therapist in recalling repressed memories of childhood molestation by her father and reports the incest to Benson and Stabler in hopes of sparing her younger sisters the same fate. She brings charges of rape against her father who winds up murdered when those charges are dismissed.
43 min
September 28, 2001
Episode 2
Wrath
The detectives investigate three murders that seemingly have no connection to each other, but each murder has ties to Benson's previous cases. As they join with the FBI to investigate, the detectives worry that Benson is the intended target.
43 min
October 5, 2001
Episode 3
Stolen
The kidnapping of an infant at a grocery store leads to an illegal adoption ring and the long lost closure of a case from 12 years prior of a murdered mother and missing baby which involved Capt. Cragen and his partner, the late Max Greevey.
43 min
October 12, 2001
Episode 4
Rooftop
When an HIV-positive male, with a record of assaulting underage girls, is discovered in a sexual clincher with a young woman on a rooftop, the detectives are determined to put him back inside. After a series of rapes and murders of young African-American women cannot be traced to him though, they begin to wonder if they've been looking at the wrong suspect.
44 min
October 19, 2001
Episode 5
Tangled
When arriving party guests find a prominent doctor beaten to death and his wife raped, the detectives have a parade of suspects and the realization that the wife was the intended victim.
44 min
October 26, 2001
Episode 6
Redemption
A string of murders leads detectives to question an initial suspect, the Soho Strangler, but they realize he might have been the wrong person all along.
44 min
November 2, 2001
Episode 7
Sacrifice
A man, who is shot and raped outside a gay bar, initially doesn't want to cooperate to find his shooter. When he finally does, the investigation leads to his family and turns his life upside down.
42 min
November 9, 2001
Episode 8
Inheritance
A series of brutal rapes and attacks on Asian women lead the police to a suspect who was himself a product of rape - his father being a rapist who was convicted. The question is brought to court of whether his genetic make-up was responsible for the crimes.
43 min
November 16, 2001
Episode 9
Care
The battered body of a five-year-old girl in foster care is discovered and suspicion soon turns to members of the girl's foster family as well as to the girl's biological mother; who is the real guilty party and who is only a red herring?
43 min
November 23, 2001
Episode 10
Ridicule
What appears as a bizarre accidental death leads to a case involving a male stripper who claims that the deceased was one of three powerful women who raped him at a bachelorette party.
43 min
December 14, 2001
Episode 11
Monogamy
The pregnant wife of a psychiatrist is found in a parking garage, unconscious and bleeding from a gaping abdominal wound with her fetus missing. The investigation leads to infedility and uncertainty as to the paternity, adding fuel to the fire of an already agitated Stabler.
44 min
January 4, 2002
Episode 12
Protection
A 6-year-old boy wounded in a shooting is brought to the ER but abandoned by his brother, who reported it, and their mother, who fears for her own life. The case leads the detectives to a woman who is on the run from an abusive drug-dealer boyfriend.
44 min
January 11, 2002
Episode 13
Prodigy
Two people are found murdered in the park, including an animal rights activist who has been raped and then decapitated. Benson and Stabler must determine which of their two main suspects -- a sociopathic teenager and a recently paroled rapist -- is responsible for the murder.
43 min
January 18, 2002
Episode 14
Counterfeit
A woman is found raped and killed by her car. Then, a similar rape is committed and the victim says that a police officer raped her after pulling her over for a supposed driving violation. This leads police to look at one of their own, until they realize the suspect is not who they think he is.
44 min
January 25, 2002
Episode 15
Execution
Detective Stabler and Dr. Huang question a convicted serial killer on death row, hours before his execution, with the hope of solving an old murder case for the sake of the victim's parents. The investigation goes haywire with mixed results.
42 min
February 1, 2002
Episode 16
Popular
Stabler's wife tells him that her friend, a high school nurse, treated a young girl for rape. Despite being advised not to find out further details, Stabler, with help from Benson, crack open the case to disturbing details.
43 min
March 1, 2002
Episode 17
Surveillance
An accomplished cellist is raped in her own apartment and the detectives are lead to a stalker who uses surveillance equipment and has been watching her every move.
43 min
March 8, 2002
Episode 18
Guilt
When A.D.A. Cabot is faced with a reluctant teenage witness in a child molestation case, she goes above and beyond the normal scope of duty in her search for evidence to convict the serial abuser. But her passion supercedes her compliance with the law, jeopardizing not only her case, but the careers of all involved.
44 min
March 29, 2002
Episode 19
Justice
A rebellious 16-year-old teenager is raped and murdered; the case becomes complex when they learn that her stepfather is a judge with whom she has had major problems.
43 min
April 5, 2002
Episode 20
Greed
Investigating the rape of the wife of a restaurateur during a robbery, leads the detectives to a similar assault, and to a locksmith.
44 min
April 26, 2002
Episode 21
Denial
When a heroin junkie is found raped, Tutuola takes an interest in her, but he's not the only one. The case turns into a bizarre murder investigation when the finger of a small child is found in the victim's purse opening a can of worms that spans back thirteen years.
44 min
May 3, 2002
Episode 22
Competence
A mentally challenged girl with Down's Syndrome is pregnant, and the question is, was she raped or did she consent and is she competent enough to keep her child?
42 min
May 10, 2002
Episode 23
Silence
A murder in a church of a young cross-dresser leads Benson and Stabler to an alleged cover-up involving sexual child abuse by a priest.
44 min
May 17, 2002
Episode 1
Chameleon
The detectives are on the trail of a recently paroled rapist responsible for the murder of a prostitute during a raid at a men's club and are called to the scene where he was shot in self defense by his own gun. However, the murder weapon was also used in another crime while he was still in prison, leading the detectives to investigate the victim through a trail of previously unsolved cases, a spending spree and another victim. They uncover a more serious criminal in the process.
43 min
September 27, 2002
Episode 2
Deception
A family portrait painted by a kindergartner leads the detectives to investigate her mother for child sexual abuse of her teenage stepson. When the boy's father is found murdered, the focus of the investigation shifts to the boy -- and his stepmother goes to great lengths to protect him and prevent the detectives from learning the truth.
44 min
October 4, 2002
Episode 3
Vulnerable
When an elderly woman with Alzheimer's breaks into an apartment, the detectives discover she had been abused, triggering memories of similar crimes from her childhood. They discover that she had been released from a nursing home to the custody of her financially scheming son who becomes the prime suspect. However, they go back to the nursing home to find a pair of suspects; the real crime is what's being done to the elderly.
43 min
October 11, 2002
Episode 4
Lust
A public health doctor, the wife of a retired attorney, who tracked HIV cases is found murdered and raped in Central Park. Her work involved contacting sexual partners of HIV patients which gives the detectives a long list of suspects and the detectives try to link threatening phone calls to the crime. The discovery of a second body in Central Park with the same signature shifts the focus to a possible serial killer.
44 min
October 18, 2002
Episode 5
Disappearing Acts
A high-powered executive is raped, but the situation is complicated by her involvement with the Feds and the Russian mob - as well as a father-son duo who are in the federal witness protection program and an agent who appears bound and determined to protect them, regardless of consequence.
43 min
October 25, 2002
Episode 6
Angels
A battered young boy suffocates while hiding in the luggage compartment of an airport shuttle bus and it leads the detectives to his guardian and into the investigation of a perverted child molestation ring.
44 min
November 1, 2002
Episode 7
Dolls
Detectives try and solve the gruesome murder of a sexually molested five-year-old girl whose killer, a serial pedophile, has an obsession with dolls. They race to save the life of his latest victim.
43 min
November 8, 2002
Episode 8
Waste
The Detectives investigate the rape of a woman who's been in a coma for a year, and after eliminating a huge pool of suspects, they make a startling discovery.
44 min
November 15, 2002
Episode 9
Juvenile
A cancer patient, who was growing marijuana in her apartment and selling it, is found raped and murdered, sending the detectives on a hunt for two middle school students, each blaming the other.
42 min
November 22, 2002
Episode 10
Resilience
A 14-year-old girl tries to commit suicide by jumping in front of a train after she is raped. She falsely accuses an ex-boyfriend but when the search turns to her dysfunctional family, surprise discoveries are made and SVU discovers that the family is even worse off than they thought.
43 min
December 6, 2002
Episode 11
Damaged
A six-year-old girl is critically injured in an apparent robbery-gone-bad and later dies. The investigation gets complicated when it is discovered that the murders were designed to silence the young girl, who was sexually abused.
43 min
January 10, 2003
Episode 12
Risk
An infant ingests pure cocaine disguised in baby formula, uncovering a complicated narcotics ring with unlikely participants and the entire squad goes undercover to flush them out.
41 min
January 17, 2003
Episode 13
Rotten
In their investigation of a prisoner's death, Benson and Tutuola learn that he was sexually assaulted before being incarcerated and since it happened while in custody, the police are suspected.
42 min
January 24, 2003
Episode 14
Mercy
When the body of a 1-month-old baby girl is found stuffed inside a cooler, the detectives are horrified. But they soon learn that the baby had a genetic disorder known as Tay-Sachs disease, and it may have been a mercy killing.
43 min
January 31, 2003
Episode 15
Pandora
The brutal rape, and subsequent death, of a female motorist turns out to be an undercover FBI informant acting as a cyber vigilante for catching online pedophiles to capture the predator trafficking internet porn. The detectives find the victim's husband murdered and follow the trail of evidence for the latest victim she had been tracking, which turns into an international case of teenage prostitution, with ties to the Czech Republic.
43 min
February 7, 2003
Episode 16
Tortured
A Tibetan woman who was tortured in her home country is found murdered, with her foot missing, and after an exhaustive search of potential suspects, the killer is a victim of torture himself.
43 min
February 14, 2003
Episode 17
Privilege
A young female film student dressed in a maid's uniform has apparently committed suicide but it's very suspicious. The detectives learn that she just broke up with her very rich and powerful boyfriend.
43 min
February 21, 2003
Episode 18
Desperate
After a young boy witnesses the brutal sexual assault and murder of his stepmother, he is too terrified to tell the detectives who attacked her.
43 min
March 14, 2003
Episode 19
Appearances
The body of a nine-year-old beauty pageant contestant is found raped and murdered on a bus, but the case goes beyond the killer when it leads detectives to a virtual-pornography website.
43 min
March 28, 2003
Episode 20
Dominance
A quadruple homicide with sexual overtones is just the start of an intense rampage of a serial killer that brings a homicide detective into the mix. As the entire squad races against time to prevent further victims, the evidence uncovers a horrible situation of incest and abuse.
43 min
April 4, 2003
Episode 21
Fallacy
A female party-goer and rape victim claims self-defense after killing her attacker. Events take an unusual turn when they find out that the victim is a pre-operative transgender.
43 min
April 18, 2003
Episode 22
Futility
A man accused of raping several neighborhood women denies everything and represents himself in court.
42 min
April 25, 2003
Episode 23
Grief
A dead girl is found outside a bar. The death, however, is ruled a suicide, because the victim's boyfriend continually raped her. The victim's father vows revenge against his daughter's rapist.
43 min
May 2, 2003
Episode 24
Perfect
A murdered 14-year-old girl leads the detectives to a prominent physician who specializes in reproduction therapy and exposes a dangerous "foundation" where disenfranchised young women are brainwashed.
43 min
May 9, 2003
Episode 25
Soulless
After a rape victim is abducted from the hospital and later found dead, the detectives suspect several young socialites of her rape, at a Manhattan nightclub, and subsequent murder.
43 min
May 16, 2003
Episode 1
Tragedy
A woman with a high-risk pregnancy disappears and her ex-boyfriend, who's the father, and engaged to the boss' daughter, is under suspicion. In a race against time to find her as her delivery date approaches, Benson and Stabler are faced with more than one suspect willing to take the fall for the crime.
42 min
September 23, 2003
Episode 2
Manic
Detectives enlist Dr. Huang's help as they investigate the deaths of two high-school basketball players gunned down while shooting hoops in the gymnasium and the connection to an illegal marketing campaign by a major pharmaceutical company.
44 min
September 30, 2003
Episode 3
Mother
A psychiatrist with unconventional methods is found sexually assaulted, unconscious and near death in a crack house. It's easier said than done to get her to cooperate with the investigation as they are hampered by doctor-patient confidentiality as she may have been attacked by one of her patients.
44 min
October 7, 2003
Episode 4
Loss
A female undercover agent for the DEA is raped and murdered, leading to a complicated investigation and the arrest of a suspect highly connected with a Colombian drug cartel. This is the toughest case of Cabot's career as she is faced with death threats on herself and her family along with pressure to yield the case to federal authorities.
44 min
October 14, 2003
Episode 5
Serendipity
A newborn baby is found dead in a gutter, sending the detectives on a hunt for the mother. She too turns up murdered, and the clues point to a serial child molester.
42 min
October 21, 2003
Episode 6
Coerced
A schizophrenic homeless man kidnaps a boy he thinks is his son, murdering a man in the process. In resolving the case, with Dr. Huang's help, a private mental health facility is brought into question.
44 min
October 28, 2003
Episode 7
Choice
While patrolling, police stumble upon an attack in progress at Momma Sue’s restaurant on the pregnant owner. Her husband is arrested and then seeks to have her charged with neglect for drinking during her pregnancy. The detectives discover it's not the first time a child has been exposed to the devastating repercussions of her uncontrolled alcoholism.
43 min
November 4, 2003
Episode 8
Abomination
Benson and Stabler have trouble identifying a male murder victim in his 20's found in a pile of sheets in the West Village; they later suspect an outspoken minister who was in the process of flooding the victim with hate mail and death threats. When the activist's alibi checks out, the detectives turn their attention to a professor who objects to the victim's thesis on the failure of sexual re-education groups.
43 min
November 11, 2003
Episode 9
Control
A subway commuter is found castrated and bleeding profusely, leading the detectives to discover their "victim" may be the perpetrator in abducting women and forcing them to live in his dungeon for several years as his bride. As the detectives prepare to arrest their victim turned suspect, Benson arrives to find him murdered.
44 min
November 18, 2003
Episode 10
Shaken
The discovery of a beaten infant leads detectives on a search for the attacker, who may be a pedophile. When the medical evidence shows the injuries were a result of shaken baby syndrome, their focus shifts to those closest to the child: her mother, the mother's boyfriend and the nannies.
44 min
November 25, 2003
Episode 11
Escape
When a convicted pedophile, desperate to prove his innocence before his terminally ill mother dies, escapes from a Virginia Correctional Facility and kidnaps his accuser to force him to recant his story, a Deputy Marshall teams up with Benson to track them down. Benson eventually finds herself in the middle of a hostage situation beginning to believe his story.
43 min
December 2, 2003
Episode 12
Brotherhood
When the body of young man is found in a tank at a wastewater treatment plant, the medical examiner identifies a tattoo that says TE, the symbol for the fraternity Tau Omega. The investigation into the murder and sodomy of this local fraternity pledge master leads the detectives to his pornographic website featuring college girls at a local bar.
44 min
January 6, 2004
Episode 13
Hate
A young Arab woman is brutally raped and burned, and after identifying her, the detectives suspect her husband and mother-in-law. After a man accused of the murders of three Arabs, he claims that he was genetically and biologically predisposed to hatred and violence, but soon they uncover the real impetus to the slayings.
43 min
January 13, 2004
Episode 14
Ritual
Two garbage collectors discover what they first think is a scene of animal sacrifice but is the body of a young boy who appears to be the victim of a ritualistic killing. The investigation leads to the discovery of international child slavery.
42 min
February 3, 2004
Episode 15
Families
The investigation into the death of a pregnant high school student exposes a long-held family secret, which precipitates yet another violent death and eventually the destruction of two families.
43 min
February 10, 2004
Episode 16
Home
A young, emaciated boy is found by neighbors scrounging for food; detectives suspect the boy is a victim of abuse and are reluctant to let him go home.
43 min
February 17, 2004
Episode 17
Mean
The conviction of a group of sociopathic high school bullies who turned on one of their own escalates into even more violence and death in their exclusive private school.
43 min
February 24, 2004
Episode 18
Careless
When a young foster child dies due to a religious ritual gone awry, the detectives unravel a mysterious pattern of violence, abuse and murder within one foster care family.
41 min
March 2, 2004
Episode 19
Sick
A wealthy toy mogul is the suspect of the sexual abuse of a child. His prosecution impeded by the child's parents who refuse to produce their child for questioning to avoid losing the millions paid through a non-disclosure agreement, and by the discovery that a second accusation was falsified in an attempt to extort a settlement.
43 min
March 30, 2004
Episode 20
Lowdown
Detectives try to decipher a motive for the strangulation of a Bronx assistant DA in an area where hookers stroll. When the death of the prosecutor looks staged using information gleaned from a co-worker's caseload, Novak endangers her career to obtain a confession.
42 min
April 6, 2004
Episode 21
Criminal
When it becomes obvious that a forensics expert raped and murdered a student, the investigation focuses on a criminology professor Cragen arrested decades earlier for similar crimes, but is the professor a perpetrator or a victim?
43 min
April 20, 2004
Episode 22
Painless
A woman claiming to have been the victim of rape commits suicide while she is still in the emergency room.
43 min
April 27, 2004
Episode 23
Bound
The death of a wealthy senior citizen leads to an investigation that uncovers a serial killer with childhood abandonment issues who targets the elderly.
42 min
May 4, 2004
Episode 24
Poison
A young girl is in a coma after ingesting detergent and her mother is suspected of poisoning her. A biased judge makes the case hard to prosecute which leads to an investigation into his past.
43 min
May 11, 2004
Episode 25
Head
A boy is accused of being molested after his soccer game, but he doesn't admit to it. His principal and his soccer coach are the prime suspects.
44 min
May 18, 2004