Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–…): Season 11, Episode 5 - Hardwired - full transcript

After Eva Banks makes a shocking discovery about her son, Cory's behavior at school, she takes him to the doctor, only to find out that he has been the victim of sexual abuse. Detectives Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler come onto the scene and question the victim and his family. From the boy's frightened reaction when his stepfather, Thomas Banks, silences the investigation, it is clear to everyone in the room who the real perpetrator is. Detective Benson and Stabler are about to arrest the suspect when Thomas agrees to give up the leader of the largest pro child-adult relationship civil rights group in exchange for amnesty.

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.

[school bell rings]

- First I'm picking up patrick
after school,

Then I'm gonna sneak in
a quick mani/pedi.

Move it, patrick!
I'm gonna be late.



[thud, glass shatters]

What the--
- mom, are you okay?

- Aah!

You ruined my son's life!

[overlapping yelling,
screaming]

- Let her go!
- What the hell's going on here?

- She told everyone
that cory's a pervert!

- That's 'cause your son
molested my boy!

- You lying bitch!

- Aah!
[scuffling]

- Mrs. Sachowski, you're sure
that cory molested your son.

- Yeah, I'm sure.
I want them both arrested!

- Yeah, well, I want
that lying whore arrested!

- Who you calling
a whore, huh?



You sick mother of a pervert!

- Yeah? Come on!
- Mrs. Banks, enough!

- Leave my mom alone!
- Oh!

- That's it, everyone's
going down to the station.

You okay?

- Now I know why they call them
special victims.

Sync by Adriano_CSI for addic7ed

- I swear, nothing happened...

Except my mom's
trying to ruin my life.

- You better check
that attitude, mister.

I know what I saw.
- So tell me.

- Cory slept over
two nights ago.

I heard weird noises
coming from patrick's room,

So I went to check it out.

I thought maybe they'd ordered
dirty movies off pay-per-view,

You know?

I walked in, and him and cory...
Were wrestling.

- Okay, wrestling isn't a crime.

- It is
when you're both naked.

Cory was holding my son down
from behind.

- Did cory touch you...
Anyplace private?

- No!

We were just wrestling!

- So whose idea was it
to take off your clothes?

- It was my idea.

- Mm. Did patrick want to
take off his clothes?

- Yeah. When I told him
games were more fun that way.

- [scoffs] well, he's ten.

I mean, being naked at his age
doesn't mean anything sexual.

- It does to patrick's mother.
So, cory...

You ever played these naked
games with any other kids?

All you gotta do
is tell me the truth.

You're not gonna
get in trouble.

- Cory, what's wrong with you?
Just tell him.

That you never have.

- But I did.
- What?

- With a kid at camp
last summer.

- You never told me this!
- Mrs. Banks--

- No, wait a minute, I--
- mrs. Banks...

- Oh, my goodn--oh!

- So this kid at camp.

Did he want to play
the games with you?

- Yeah. Kinda.

- What's the verdict?

Sexual experimentation
or molestation?

- It sounds like cory's
engaging in mastery play.

Children often reenact
abuse they've experienced

To make sense
of what happened to them.

- So...Cory didn't intend
to molest patrick.

He was just working at his
demons because he's been abused.

- And it might be ongoing.

I'd like to interview him
alone,

Have a doc examine him
and...

Can you get his mother
away from him for a while?

- I've sent mary
and patrick home.

We're not gonna charge cory
with anything.

- [exhales]
thank you.

I knew you didn't do
anything wrong, baby.

- However, we still have to

Deal with the charges
against you.

Ada elliot wants you
to stay here.

- Why? What charges?

- Well, you hit mary
with your car.

You punched her in the face.
That's two counts of assault.

- Oh, my god--

That bitch is gonna seriously
press charges against me?

- Well, maybe if you write
mrs. Sachowski an apology,

She'll reconsider.

- Fine.
Whatever.

We'll go right home
after mama finishes.

Just take a few seconds.

- Well, actually, we still
need to get your statement,

And your son
needs to get checked out

By a doctor right away.

We have to make sure
he wasn't injured

When you rammed mary's car.

- Well, how am I gonna
take him to the doctor

If I have to write this?

- We could get cory
to the hospital.

- You okay with that?

Yeah.
You'll be all right.

- Dr. Sherman is gonna just
take a few swabs,

And it won't hurt, I promise.

- Okay.

- Hey, where did you get
that bruise on your arm?

- Wrestling.

Doug ferguson
got me in a granby roll.

- Wow. That looks like
it must have hurt.

- Coach simons
made it feel better.

- He made it feel better?
How'd he do that?

- He massaged it.

- Has he ever massaged you
anywhere else?

- I pulled a groin muscle once.
He massaged that too.

- Did it make you feel
uncomfortable?

- Sorta. But a lot of guys
get rubdowns from him.

- How do you know that?

- After every meet, he has
a pizza party at his apartment.

Sometimes he takes a kid
into his bedroom

For a sports massage.

- Wanna keep your crotch
on your opponent's hips, okay?

You'll control him that way.
- Mr. Simons.

- What can I do for you?

- Well, for starters,
you can step away from the boy.

[blows whistle]
- laps around the room.

Till the ceiling beads sweat.

- Cory banks.

He tells us that he's learned
a lot of moves from you.

- Kid's got a lot of talent.
He's not in trouble, is he?

- We were just wondering

Where he learned about
naked wrestling.

- Not from me.

- So giving boys rubdowns
in your apartment--

All coaches do that?
- I'm a professional trainer.

Okay?
You wanna see my license?

- Show it to me
down at the precinct.

- You're hurting me.
Let go of me!

- Yeah, you'll be saying that
a lot in prison.

Our kiddy diddler clammed up.
Didn't give me anything.

- Including his real name.

Tony acardo.

Convicted of forced rape
of a minor in baltimore.

- Did ten years.
Sprung last March.

I wish the school
had fingerprinted him.

- There's more--
medical tests on cory's

Came back positive
for chlamydia,

And the doc found
extensive anal fissures.

[paper rustles]

- Let's turn the screw.

Sorry to keep you waiting.

[thud]
- hey!

- I get a little clumsy
around scumbag pedophiles...

Tony.

- Tony?

You got me confused
with somebody else.

- No, you're the one
that's confused

And very, very sick,
mr. Acardo.

- Okay.

So I changed my name
when I moved to new york.

Start a new life.

- Nothing new about
what you did to cory.

- Hey, I never touched him!

- He tested positive
for chlamydia.

- I'm clean...I was just
at the clinic two weeks ago!

- Well, the doctor's gonna
stick a swab in your penis,

Which you'll probably like,

But god help you
if it comes back positive.

- I wanna talk
to my lawyer, now.

- You tear that boy up...

You're gonna tell me about it.

- [gags]

I swear I haven't touched
a boy since '98!

- El.

- I can't breathe!

- Elliot!

- I thought you people
were done with me.

- We're here about cory.

- When dr. Huang
brought him home,

He said he wasn't hurt
in the car.

[door clicks open]

- Hon? What's going on?

- Mr. Banks, we're from
special victims unit.

We're here about your son.

- Cory's my stepson.

He took my last name
when eva and I got married.

Did something happen to him?

- Cory's been
sexually abused.

- What?

By who?

- His wrestling coach.
We have him in custody.

- He did time in a maryland
prison for child rape.

- Oh, my god!

- And you're sure
he hurt cory?

- Well, his medical tests
indicate

On-going sexual abuse,

But he wouldn't tell dr. Huang
what happened.

- Cory, come in here, please.

- I'm so sorry!

- Mom, what's wrong?

- Cory...Did coach sims
ever touch you?

- No. I already told
the doctor.

- It's okay.
They arrested him.

- Cory!
- Mrs. Banks--

- Wait, cory, come back.
- Let me speak with him.

- Hold up.
Why don't you give him a minute?

- Coach simons never touched me.

- He's done it
to other boys.

- He didn't do it to me.

Do you hear me?

It wasn't him.

- Was it someone else?

- I can't.
- Yeah, you can.

Tell me.
I'll stop him.

- Cory.

- Mr. Banks, please let me
just talk to cory alone.

- I'm his father.
I'll do the talking.

Were you molested, son?

- No, dad.

Nobody touched me.

- Mr. Banks,
the doctor has proof.

- My son's not a liar,
detective.

He told you he wasn't molested,

So I think it's time
you two left.

- You know what I think?

I'm gonna park myself
across the street for the night

Just in case cory needs me.

- He'll be safe with me,
detective.

Right, cory?

Now, go.

- Hey, cory...

We'll be right outside.

- Morning, sunshine.
- Hey.

- Anything goin' on?
- All quiet, thank god.

What happened
with the wrestling coach?

- Lots of backrubs to the team.
No molesting.

- [chuckles]
give him time.

- Well, don't worry.

We're extraditing him
to baltimore

For failing to register
as a sex offender.

He's going away for years.

- In the meantime, thomas banks
is free to molest his stepson.

- He'd never risk it with you
out here all night.

- Can't stay out here
forever.

I'm telling you,
I almost had him.

Cory was ready
to tell me everything,

Then dad walked into
the room...

Sacred the hell out of him.

- Well, I'm afraid...
That's not all he's scared of.

Before banks
came into the picture,

Cory and his mom are homeless,
living in a shelter on 10th.

- Do you have any idea
how eva met banks?

- Yeah. He volunteered,
working in the kitchen.

- Perfect place to troll for
needy boys who want a dad.

- Perfect family
for a pedophile.

Marry mom...Gets unlimited
access to cory.

- And he's too scared
to say anything,

'cause he's afraid they're gonna
end up on the street again.

- I'll tail him to school.

I'll get eva alone,

See if she'll talk without her
husband breathing down her neck.

[school bell rings]
- come here.

Have a good day.
Talk to you later.

- Eva.

- Thomas told me
not to speak to you.

- Cory was raped, even though
he said that he wasn't.

- If that's true, how come
he didn't tell us who did it?

- Because he's afraid of going
back to the shelter.

- Not gonna happen.

- Look, I know you're trying
to do the right thing.

- You don't know
anything about me.

Do you know what it's like
to get knocked up by a guy

Who can't stop hitting you?

And then when you finally
find the nerve to leave him,

You wind up in a filthy
city shelter with your kid?

Things are good right now,
and they're gonna stay that way.

- I'm telling you
that cory's not safe.

- What are you saying?

- I'm saying that your husband's
molesting your son.

- [exhales]
thomas is molesting cory.

You are so wrong.
- Pedophiles are predators--

- He took us
out of that shelter.

He saved our lives.

Thomas wouldn't hurt cory.
I know it!

- Is thomas
ever alone with cory?

- No! I'm watching him
every second of the day.

- Well, you gotta sleep,
don't ya?

- Oh, my god.

- What?

What is it?

- In the shelter,
I had to stay up all night

To make sure no one
would mess with our stuff

Or mess with cory.

It gave me insomnia.

Thomas made me
go to this doctor

Who gave me these pills
and--

- So now nothing wakes you up.

- I gotta go.
- Eva...

Cory's being treated
for chlamydia.

- What?
- So you need to see a doctor.

- No.

Thomas and I haven't had sex
in months.

The pills took away my desire.
He told me that he understood.

He told me
that he would never hurt cory!

He told me that he loved us!

Oh, my god!
I gotta go.

I'm gonna kill him.
I gotta go--no, I gotta go!

- Eva, listen to me.
You gotta let us handle it.

- Listen to me.
I have to get cory!

- Let us handle it.
We're gonna stop him.

But I need your help.

- Cory.

- Mom.

Why is she here?

- Olivia needs to talk to you.

- But I thought
everything was okay.

- So did I, sweetheart.

Listen, um...

Cory...

I know what happened.

- Nothing happened.

- Cory...
- No, mom, nothing happened.

- Cory, baby, baby,
listen to me.

I know what happened...

And it's okay.

Listen to me, baby.

I want you to tell olivia
exactly what happened, okay?

And I'm right here.

- When we went to live
with tom...

He kept asking me...

If I liked my new toys
and clothes

And my new life.

I told him that I did.

He said that he'd been
good to me

And now I had to be good
to him.

At first...He'd make me
undress in front of him...

And take pictures.

- It's gonna be okay.

- And then what happened?

- For a while,
it was just the pictures.

But then one day he said
he needed to videotape me.

I'm so sorry, mom.

Now we'll have to go back
to the shelter.

- Cory, listen to me.

This is not your fault, okay?

I let you down.

I didn't protect you.
I'm sorry.

God.
[sniffles]

Mama didn't know.

Can you forgive me?
- Yeah.

- Cory, these tapes and photos.

Do you know
where he keeps them?

- If you don't stop
harassing me,

I'm reporting you
to your superiors.

- Yeah? Great.

Tell them how I dragged
your ass to jail.

Thomas banks,
you're under arrest

For sexually abusing
your stepson.

Where's your laptop?
- I don't have a laptop.

- In the closet.
- You little weasel.

- A one-way ticket to prison.

Let's go.

- Cory...It's over.

My partner arrested thomas
20 minutes ago.

- I'm sorry it took me so long
to tell the truth.

- What? No.

No, no, no, no, no.

You are a fighter.

Just like me.

Well...

It's time to pack, kiddo.

- Where are we going?

- I don't know,
but we will find a place.

- A shelter?

- Maybe a motel
until mama finds a job.

And we can--
- eva. Eva.

You don't have to move.

- But thomas pays the mortgage,

And he's never given me
any of the passwords

On any of our accounts.

- So, we'll go to the bank,
we'll show them your id,

We'll empty the accounts,

We'll start a new one
in your name,

And then we come home here
and we change the locks.

- Really?
- Yeah!

- [exhales] ohh...

Damn, girl, you got a little
gangster in you, huh?

- I never hurt cory.

I love him.

- We searched your computer.
Those photos are not love.

- They're beautiful
artistic snapshots.

- You think raping a boy's
pretty?

- I don't rape boys.

- No, you just love 'em
till it hurts, huh?

- What cory and I had
is special.

It's more than love.

- Well, you're gonna see
what it feels like in prison

When your 300-pound daddy
more than loves you

And you give him chlamydia?

He's gonna
bite your junk off.

- I wanna make a deal.
- There's no deal here.

We got the medical evidence.

We got cory's statement,
the naked photos in your laptop.

No. We're lockin' you up
and throwing away the key.

- Not if I give you someone
even bigger than me.

I know kevin o'donnell.

I'm supposed to have
dinner with him tonight.

- I'm not swapping you out
for another pervert.

- He's the president
of our special love.

- The pedophile rights group.

- And at dinner, he's gonna
give me the names and addresses

Of 5,000 members.

But only
if you make my deal.

- We have a bulletproof case
against banks,

And you want to cut him
a deal?

- To nail an even bigger
bottom-feeder--

Kevin o'donnell.
- And he is...

- President of our special love,

The latest civil rights group
for child molesters.

- They defend a pedophile's
right to have sex with children.

- The same thing nambla
tried to do.

- No, osl goes a step further.

They have claims
that pedophilia

Is a genetically based
sexual orientation

Like hetero or homosexuality

And that pedophiles
are being persecuted like gays

In iraq and iran--
it's despicable.

- I've never seen you
this ticked off before.

- Pseudoscience like this

Insults my intelligence
as a psychiatrist

And my humanity as a gay man.

- What does this whacko
want with banks?

- Thomas is an expert
in corporate I.T.S,

The perfect person
to run osl's data management

And internet security.

- But o'donnell
needed to make sure

That thomas
wasn't an fbi agent,

So he told him to have sex
with his stepson

And videotape him.

- And the final test
is he wants to meet cory

In the flesh.

- You want to put cory
back in a room

With the man who raped him?

- It's our only chance
to take osl down.

I will prep cory,
make sure he can handle it.

- Not good enough.

You pose as cory's mom
so we have a cop in the room.

- I can't.
Kevin's seen a family photo.

He already knows
who eva is.

- Look, if we do not collar
o'donnell, thousands of kids

Are gonna be going through
the same hell cory did.

- I want to stop him
as much as you do,

But not at cory's expense.

- We'll make sure
he doesn't get hurt...

Mentally or physically.

- [sighs] ohh...

I finally claw my way
out of appeals,

And you guys
bring me this cluster.

I want the mother's consent.

In writing.
With witnesses.

- Listen, I changed my mind.
I can't go through with this.

- Eva, it'll just be
for a couple of hours.

Come here.
- What if thomas or kevin

Try to hurt cory?

- We will never let them
lay a finger on him.

- No, you know--
listen, listen.

Isn't there any other way
that we can do this?

- Just watch.
We're gonna be right next door

Watching everything
that happens.

We've got cameras covering
every inch of your apartment.

- What if this screws up cory
even more?

- If I do it...
Will it help other kids?

- Yeah, it will.

- I wanna do it.

- You son of a bitch!
- Keep her away from me!

- Eva--don't.
- Eva, calm down.

Listen to me.

If o'donnell sees a mark
on him,

He's gonna know something's up--
calm down.

- O'donnell just arrived.
We're on.

- Eva...Can you do this?

- Yeah. I'll try.

- Come on.

- So glad you could
join us, kevin.

- Your husband and I
are old online pals.

- Here we go.
- I can't tell you

How great it is to finally
meet everybody in person.

- Where are you from, kevin?

- Ooh...All over.

But I'm happy to be
in new york at the moment.

- Jeez, it took him less
than five minutes

To touch cory.

- I bet you get all the girls
in school after you, huh?

- Not really.
- 'scuse me.

- Where's she going?

- Kitchen.

- [breathing heavily]

- What the hell is she doing?

- Keep it together.

- She's gonna kill him.
- Hold on, el.

Come on, eva.
Don't...

- [breathing heavily]

You can do this.

- Eva, you are
an amazing cook.

- How long is he
gonna drag this out?

- The chicken--
what is that called?

- Madre sucia.
- Delicious.

- I hope you save room
for a slice of cake.

- If it is half as good
as that dinner,

I'll take two pieces.

- I'll go get it.

- Thomas, do you have
your laptop?

- Sure do.
- Here we go, el.

- Would you get it for me,
please?

Can you keep a secret,
cory?

- Yeah.

- Even from your mom?

Your stepdad
emailed me this...

Because he wanted me to see

What a beautiful boy you are

And how loving.

- That's it, we got him.

- No. We just got him
on possession of child porn.

- Cory's struggling.
How much more can he take?

- If you want kevin,
we need his files.

- People don't understand
our special kind of love.

I know you're scared.

But...I don't want you
to cheat on your dad.

Besides, I like little girls.

- Enough. I can't stand it.

- Thomas is back.

- Here you go.
- Thank you.

All the osl data
is on this flash drive.

It should transfer
in just a few seconds.

- Police!
- Show us your hands.

- O'donnell,
get away from the table.

Get away from the computer.
- How could you?

- Son of a bitch!
- Aah!

- [whimpering, screaming]

- Eva, no!
- Let me kill him, please!

Let me kill him, please!
[crying]

- Eva, let go of the knife.
Eva, let go of the knife!

- [sobbing]

- I need medics here now!

- How is he?

- His vitals are stable.
No hemorrhaging.

- Eva.
- I hope you die.

- Eva, stay back.

- You call this clown show
an undercover operation?

You promised me
there would be no injuries.

- We've got it under control.

- Until you get
the wild card out of here.

Arrest her!
- No, you can't take my mom.

- Alex.

Do you understand what eva's
been through tonight?

She just endured dinner
with her son's rapist

And helped us bust
a pedophile ring.

- I cannot whitewash
assault with a deadly weapon

When it happened on video
in front of three detectives.

- Cory needs his mother tonight.
Please don't do this.

- Book her.

- No, wait a minute.
- No...

- Cory's gonna be fine.
Come with me.

- Wait. Who's gonna take care
of my kid?

What about my boy?
- He'll be all right.

- What about my boy?
No!

- This isn't right, alex.

That little boy
faced his abuser,

And we locked up his mom.

- Eva stabbed her husband
right in front of you.

Since when do we give
domestic assault a free pass?

- We asked her to go through
hell, and she snapped.

Alex, I'm not asking you
to let her off.

Give her
a desk appearance ticket.

That way she can stay with cory

And face her charges
in six months.

- How's he doing?
- Barely hanging on.

- All right.
Let's not make this worse.

Give mom the d-a-t
and cut her loose.

- Mom.
- Eva, you can go now, eva.

Go ahead.

You're gonna have to report
back here in six months,

But by then...
This will all have blown over.

- [softly] come on.

Get out of our lives.

Please.

- I'm gonna wipe that smile
off his face.

- While you're at it, try to get
a confession out of him.

[door bangs]

- You look pretty happy
for a man facing 25 to life.

- I'll be exonerated.

I've done nothing wrong.

- Yeah, what about that
nude picture of thomas and cory

You held in your
sweaty little hands?

- Don't shoot the messenger.

Thomas gave that to me.
I was just returning it.

- You and your friends.

You brag about molesting kids
and the minute you're caught,

You all cry like the little
bitches that you are.

- My organization
promotes the protection

Of the true love between
children and adults.

- You son of a bitch--
I'm gonna fix you right now

So you can't love
any more kids.

- You can't intimidate me!

Someday, you and everyone else

Are gonna have to accept
people like me.

Ah!

[chair clatters]

- I'll accept you
when you're dead.

- Leave me alone.
You've got nothing on me.

- Oh, yeah?
I got your flash drive.

That's it, no porn?
You sure?

- Just three cheesy pictures,
totally innocuous.

- That doesn't make sense.

Why would o'donnell
give banks these pictures?

- I didn't get it either,
so I dug a little deeper

And found computer code
hidden in a pixel.

I cracked it,
I opened a secret file,

And found all these pictures.

- Pervert's pot of gold at
the end of the digital rainbow.

- There's gotta be
a thousand pictures here.

- It'll take thousands of hours
to id the scumbags in 'em.

- Luckily, kevin is meticulous.

See those little blank
squares in the rainbow?

Pdf files.

When members submit
their proof of perversion,

Our special love
asks for names and addresses.

- Insurance so anybody in
the club can't go to the cs.

- Time to pick up the garbage.

- I still don't understand
what I did wrong.

- I'm throwing you in a cage
full of pedophiles.

See if they can help you
figure it out.

- I've never seen that kid
before in my life.

- Pictures don't lie.
We got him sitting in your lap.

- I don't have anybody
to watch my shop!

That's the least of your
problems, baby raper.

Bet you didn't think
nypd would be hosting

This year's
our special love convention.

- Hey, all you vermin,
you can thank your leader,

Kevin o'donnell, for keeping
such meticulous records.

Enjoy, kev.

- You can't leave me in here!

I want my lawyer.

- She'll meet you
in arraignment.

Tomorrow.

- Docket ending 5783.

People versus kevin o'donnell.

One count
accessory to rape

And 1,600 counts of possessing

An obscene
sexual image of a child.

- How does the defendant plead?
- Not guilty.

And we move for dismissal.
- On what grounds?

- Constitutional, your honor.

The law regarding my client's
sexuality is discriminatory.

- She's trying to spin the rape
of a 10-year-old boy

Into a civil rights issue.

- You wanna talk civil rights?
Look what happened to my client.

He was beaten
in their holding cell.

- Is that true, miss cabot?

- He had an unfortunate run-in

With some of his
pedophile customers.

Apparently, some of them wanted
their membership fees back.

- That's right, make fun
of my client's persecution.

Everybody else does...
But it's still discrimination,

No matter how you slice it.
- Your honor--

- Relax, miss cabot.
I'm not dismissing this case.

As for the defense,
I'll allow it...

Though it gives me
the heebie-jeebies.

Bail is set at $1 million.

- After 20 years of experience,
I can tell you firsthand

Adults dating children
is not only harmless,

It's victimless.
- Victimless.

Don't you think a lot of people
would disagree with you?

- Of course.
Ignorance breeds fear.

Just because we're the minority
doesn't make us evil.

We live, breathe, and love
just like everybody else.

- So you contend
that the loving feelings

You have toward children
are normal.

- It's part of the normal
continuum of human behavior.

Minor/adult relationships

Have been a part
of every healthy society

Dating back to the greeks.

It's not the easiest topic
to discuss,

But the truth
that's hardest to tell

Is the one that should be
told the loudest.

- What about
all the psychologists

Who claim that children
physically involved with adults

Are victims--
are they wrong?

- They shame children
into feeling guilty

About what was a healthy
relationship with an adult.

They make normal children
into victims.

- Thank you, mr. O'donnell.
No further questions.

- According to your testimony,
we would have to change

The name
of our sex crimes division

To special victimless unit.

- Objection.
Combative.

- Sustained.
- Do you have any medical

Or psychiatric research
to support your position?

- No, because--

- Because it doesn't exist,
does it?

- Exactly my point.

Anybody engaged in one of
these relationships

Is terrified to speak
honestly and openly

for fear of being demonized.

- Because it's illegal.
Can you blame them?

- Up until 1967,
it was illegal

For a white person
and black person to marry.

Just a year ago,

Gay marriage was legalized
in several states.

Were interracial
and gay couples criminals?

No. They were victims
of biased and bigoted laws.

- So you think pedophiles
are being persecuted.

- If you call me and others
a pedophile,

It's like calling
african-americans the "n" word

Or homosexuals the "f" word.

Minor/adult relationships

Are normal, safe, and healthy.

- Then why do you think
medicine, psychiatry,

And the law all recognize

That children
are not mature enough

To enter into a sexual
relationship with an adult?

- I really don't know.

- Because it's rape,
that's why.

- Dr. Huang, you know better.
- It's fine, your honor.

I'd like the prosecution
to ask my so-called victim

If she called it rape.

I believe my former girlfriend
is testifying next.

- Kevin and I dated
from the time I was 11 to 14.

- And how old was he
at the time?

- 30.

- And did you two have sex
while you were dating?

- Yes.

- That must have been
horrifying...

30-year-old man molesting
a young 11-year-old girl?

- He never molested me.

I was the one
who came on to him.

Kevin was a gentleman.

- Then why did you two
break up?

- I went to live with
my grandmother

In another state.

- So you don't consider yourself
a victim of kevin o'donnell.

- Absolutely not.

It's probably the most normal
relationship I've been in.

- Thank you.

No further questions,
your honor.

- Isn't it convenient
that your testimony

Of kevin o'donnell raping you

Falls just outside
the statute of limitations?

- He didn't rape me.
I consented.

- An 11-year-old is not mature
enough to consent to sex

With an adult man.

That's why it's called
statutory rape.

You said you moved away.

Why couldn't you stay
with your parents?

- Because my father
was beating me.

And my mother
was too drunk to care.

- And there was kevin o'donnell,

Ready to take advantage
of a vulnerable girl

From a broken home.

- I begged him
to let me move in with him.

But he said society
wouldn't understand.

- Because you were brainwashed
by a predatory adult

Who knew
he would go to jail.

- Kevin loved me so much,

He convinced me to move in
with my grandmother,

Even though he knew
it meant breaking up,

So I could be in a safe home.

- He broke up with you
because you hit puberty,

And pedophiles
are only attracted

To prepubescent children.

- You're wrong.

He broke up with me
so I could have a life.

He told me to stay in school,
to face my fears,

And now I'm getting
a master's degree.

He made me the woman
I am today.

- This trial is a sham!

We've got a pedophile
claiming to be a victim

And a victim blowing kisses
at her attacker.

- The jury's too smart
to buy it.

- All it takes is one juror.

- Looking for a way
to rationalize his lust

For his 10-year-old neighbor.

- I will bring in
a thousand child victims

To tell their side
of the story.

- I wish the judge
would allow it,

But you know it's inadmissible.
[telephone rings]

Hang on.

Alexander cabot.

Thank you.

[phone clunks]

This is a nightmare.

The defense is calling eva
to the stand.

- She'll last five minutes

Before she starts
punching people.

- I'll go talk to her.

- Cory said you'd be down here.

- You have no business
talking to my son.

I told you we're through.
- Eva...

I'm glad that you're putting
the past behind you...

But you can't
throw out a subpoena

Along with thomas's things.

- I told that bitch lawyer
I'm not testifying.

- You don't have a choice.

If you don't show up, the judge
is gonna throw you in jail.

- What does the defense
want from me?

- To make you the bad guy.
- Well, bring it on.

I'll show them
who the real bad guy is.

- Eva, that's exactly
what they want you to do.

You have to stay calm.

- You mean you want me
to go in there

And lie down like a punk?

- Well, you tell me.

Is a guilty verdict worth it?

- What if I go in there
and make everything worse?

- You can do this.

I wouldn't be here
if I didn't believe in you.

- [scoffs]

I don't believe in me.

- You're a fighter.

Look at everything
that you've overcome.

Don't quit now.

You just gotta use your head
and not your fists...

And you're gonna win.

- Mrs. Banks, do you believe--
- excuse me.

I'm not going by
that jerk's name anymore.

My last name is santiago.

- Sorry.
Ms. Santiago,

Did kevin o'donnell
ever hit your child?

- No.

But--
- thank you, ms. Santiago.

- 'scuse me.
Let me just say...

What that piece of garbage
did to my son--

Cory throws up
and cries every night

Every time he goes to sleep.

And every time a grown man
passes by him, he shakes.

- What does that have to do
with my client?

He never touched your son,
did he?

- No. But he encouraged

My soon-to-be-ex-husband
to rape him.

- Really. And if he had
encouraged your soon-to-be-ex

To jump off the brooklyn bridge,
would he have done that too?

- Lady, you are twisting
my words.

- Ms. Santiago,

Do you have any criminal
charges pending against you?

- Objection.
Irrelevant.

- Goes to the witness's
credibility.

- Overruled.

Answer the question,
ms. Santiago.

- Yes.

For assault.

- Don't you mean assaults?

Against a woman whose son
goes to school with yours

And against your husband
whom you stabbed with a knife.

And that's
just in one week, right?

- I'm not a criminal.
- Then isn't it possible

That your son is terrified

You'll take him back
to a shelter

Filled with violent addicts
and criminals like yourself?

- I'm a good mother,
and my sov knows it.

- Didn't why didn't you know
that your son

Was involved in a relationship
with thomas banks?

- Because he was afraid
to say anything.

He thought that thomas
would hurt him!

- Your son is afraid of you.

- No!
- Of what you would do

When you found out
that thomas loves cory

And could give him all
the things that you couldn't.

- Stop it!
- You failed him as a mother.

- Thomas banks
never loved my son.

He raped him every night
for over a year

And videotaped it for
that animal sitting right there

So that he can become a member
of his kiddy rape club!

- You're full of blame
for everyone but yourself,

Ms. Santiago.

You ever look in the mirror,

See what kind of mother
you've been?

Raising your son
around an abusive man...

Moving him into a drug
and disease-infested

Homeless shelter,

Punching or stabbing anyone
who gets in your way.

Blaming my client
for your neglect.

- [whispers]
you're right.

You're right.

May god forgive me.

I'm a bad mother--
- no, that's not true!

- Mr. Huang, what is this?

- Cory, what are you doing here?

- I gave dr. Huang a call.
I need to be here for my mom.

- Young man,
please be quiet.

- Thomas raped me,
and that man made him do it!

- That's enough!
[gavel bangs]

Detective benson,
will you please escort--

- It wasn't love!

I begged him every night
to leave me alone,

And he never listened.

Not once!

- The jury will disregard
that remark.

- I love you, mom.
I love you, mom!

- [crying]

- Oh, my goodness!
Well?

- Guilty. Judge gave o'donnell
ten years for accessory to rape.

- That's it?
That's all he got?

- And two years for every
photo on that flash drive

To be served consecutively.

- What does that mean?

- He was sentenced
to 3,000 years.

He's never coming out.

- [exhales]

And thomas?

- 20 years.

- Oh, baby.

Thank you.

- No, eva.

Thank you.

So where are you goin'?

- Back to florida.
- That's right, baby.

The sunsne state!

That's what we need, right?

You know what,
why don't you do me a favor.

Bring your surfboard
down to the truck, ok?

Okay.

Can you believe
I sold this rotten place?

Who knew something good
was gonna come out of this?

Now me and cory can make
a new start, you know?

- I knew you could do it.

- Not without you.