Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–…): Season 18, Episode 3 - Imposter - full transcript
SVU chooses to pursue a risky "rape by fraud" case involving a con artist who poses as a college admissions director to have sex with the mothers of prospective students.
_
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.
Maybe we should set up
a few more meetings
with the consultant.
- We're fine
- Oh, I just found out
that Matthew Sun
is on the board at Penn...
- We're running late.
- Okay. All right.
Oh, honey? Honey?
Just remember, okay?
It's supposed to be
a conversation, you know?
Just avoid yes or no answers.
- Okay, Mom, I know.
- You look good.
I'll call you when
we get to Boston, okay?
Okay. All right. Oh!
Don't forget to mention your
three-week seminar in Nairobi.
Thank you.
[phone buzzing]
Hey.
Great.
Yeah, I'll see you soon.
[dark music]
[both breathing heavily]
[moans]
[both breathing heavily]
♪
Laura, are you sure
you want to have sex?
Absolutely.
Why the hell do you think we're here?
[both moaning]
♪
[water faucet running]
♪
- All right, thank you.
- Hi.
Hey, the victim's name
is Laura Collett.
She's on her way to the hospital.
It looks like an overdose,
but no note.
- Who found her?
- Maintenance.
2:00 a.m.
Tub started overflowing,
leaking water into the room below.
- Did she check in alone?
- Well, we're not sure.
We're trying to pull video
at the moment,
but, I mean, the room is in her name.
She charged it on her AMEX.
- Key card?
- Last used at 9:56 p.m.
- Any witnesses on the floor?
- No, nobody heard a peep.
Oh, looks romantic.
- Flowers, a bottle of Brunello.
- Yeah.
CSU's gonna check that for narcotics.
You said there was
an outcry witness, right?
Yeah, the suspect via text.
- Okay, you got a name?
- No.
I called the number a few times.
No answer, no voicemail.
Laura's last text was
11:56 last night.
♪
"You raped me.
Burn in hell."
Okay, clear and concise.
Not exactly.
She sent another text to the
same guy ten minutes earlier.
"Incredible night.
Just gonna say it.
Best sex ever."
So, in ten minutes
she goes from "best sex ever"
to "you raped me?"
How the hell does that happen?
♪
[dramatic music]
♪
Hey.
The vic's at the hospital.
She's still unresponsive.
Nearly lethal dose of
alcohol and diazepam.
Doctor says it's looking 50/50.
Any other drugs in her system?
No, and the doctor did
a full tox panel.
No Rohypnol or other date rape drugs.
Okay, so the victim has sex,
and then has a change of heart
after the fact.
She goes from best sex ever
to rape in ten minutes.
- That's a pretty big change of heart.
- Ten minutes or ten hours.
The question is,
what turns this into a rape?
TARU said these texts went
to a burner?
- Yeah.
- All right.
So the victim,
Laura Collett, married,
lives in Manhattan.
What else do we know?
She's 42. She has one son.
And here's a screen shot
of her phone.
Just another perfect family.
Wow, it's just too early
to be that jaded.
Next time I'll wait till noon.
The husband, he's at the hospital?
- Yeah, unis called.
- Great, head down there.
See what he knows.
_
Excuse me. Mr. Collett?
I'm Detective Carisi.
This is Detective Rollins.
We're looking into what happened
with your wife last night.
You're investigating her
for overdosing on pills?
No, no, we're not.
We're trying to understand
what happened prior to that.
- Prior?
- Yeah.
You see,
your wife sent a text message
from her phone
accusing somebody of rape.
So she was at a hotel
with a man who raped her?
Right now, we're just trying
to figure out who she was with.
When was the last time
you talked to Laura?
Late afternoon.
I was... my son and I were
in Boston, visiting colleges.
Did you know that she was staying
at the Luxembourg Hotel that night?
Mr. Collett, do you have
any idea who Laura was with?
Maybe with somebody from work?
No. She doesn't work.
She's involved with
various charities, but...
- Okay.
- We were happy.
- At least I thought we were.
- Had she taken up anything new?
Tennis, hiking, or yoga?
More like college admissions.
That's all she thinks about,
where my son will be going
to college next year.
Right.
Well, look, Mr. Collett, we know
this is all overwhelming,
but we'd like your consent
to do a rape kit.
[solemn music]
♪
What do you got?
The hotel just sent over
security footage.
All right, at 6:14 p.m.,
Laura walks in the hotel lobby.
She says hello
to this tall, white man.
Looks early 40s.
He's decent looking.
Well-dressed.
I'll run it through
facial-rec.
Great, so meanwhile,
head back to that hotel,
show that image to guests,
doormen, front desk.
See if anybody knows who this guy is.
All right, take a ride
to the Luxembourg Hotel?
No, I can't.
Barba set up an interview with
me with some ADA in Brooklyn.
Brooklyn?
You got to grow a beard and
start making artisan pickles?
I'm just seeing
what's out there, all right?
For the record,
I like artisan pickles.
- Mm.
- How do I look?
Like a cop.
Hey, how did Noah do?
Okay, did you talk to his teacher?
Oh.
Okay, thanks, Lucy.
Everything good with the little guy?
Apparently, Noah's language skills
are slightly underdeveloped
relative to his peer group.
You know,
I've just been doing my best,
you know,
reading and talking, singing...
So he's not getting
into the fancy school?
They don't know yet.
Anything new with Laura Collett?
Rape kit came back.
No semen, bruises, or abrasions,
but she did have sex.
They found traces
of condom lubricant.
- Any facial-rec?
- No, the guy's still a ghost.
- Anything on social media?
- No pops on the perp,
but check this out.
She DM'd her son the day
before the incident.
"I'm sorry. Call me."
And he writes back,
"You make me sick.
I hope you die."
Huh.
- Those are pretty strong words.
- Yeah, maybe the kid found out
his mother was seeing somebody else.
I'll go back to the hospital,
see what he knows.
How'd your meeting go with LaRosa?
What, you think I don't hear things?
[footsteps approaching]
Hey, Justin. How's your mom?
She's still unconscious, but
the doctor sounds optimistic.
Good.
Not sure if he really means it,
or he's just trying to placate me.
Placate, huh? Nice.
SAT word, right?
[laughs softly]
So listen, we got this
from the hotel security.
Do you recognize this guy
with your mom?
No, sorry.
That's okay.
[sighs]
So listen, Justin. I, um...
I saw the message
you sent your mother
the night of the incident.
What was she so sorry about?
Why did you say
that you wanted her to die?
She kept bugging me about Hudson.
She really wants me to go there.
She thinks it's so prestigious.
You know, my mother...
[chuckles]
My mother didn't even know
I applied to college.
No, seriously.
Two days before
classes started, I said,
"Hey, Ma, can I borrow
400 bucks for books?
I just got into St. John's."
Lucky you.
My mom's been on
four campus tours of Hudson,
sat in on six lectures,
and had three lunches with some guy
from the admissions office.
The other day, she asked me
to have lunch with him.
Said he might be the difference
maker, and I snapped.
I'm sick of dealing with
all her stress over all this.
I'm the one applying.
[solemn music]
I just hope that's not the
last thing I ever said to her.
♪
[sighs]
Did she ever mention
the name of the guy
at the...
the admissions office?
No, she never mentioned it.
Do you think she...
that because of our fight,
she took all those pills?
No.
No, put that out of your head.
I think she loves you very much,
and it's because of that she's
gonna make a full recovery.
♪
Come on.
You got to hit
that thing harder, man.
You know what's overrated?
Wireless, and putting lemon in water.
I don't get that.
All right.
So Justin says that his mother
was spending time with some guy
who works in the office of admissions
of Hudson University.
I got 27 males
in that department, 19 women.
Takes all those people
to look at applications
and say yes or no?
Hey, I just got back from the hotel,
and nobody recognizes
the unknown male,
but I did get a name
that you might find interesting.
Laura signed into
the spa at 6:33 p.m.,
and a guy named Alden Kessler
signed in at the exact same time.
Hey, look at that.
He's at the top of my list.
Director of Admissions.
_
Alden Kessler. Where is he?
Thanks.
Hey, where's Alden Kessler?
You're looking at him.
- Wait, you're Alden Kessler?
- Is there a problem?
Yeah.
A tall white one.
Do you know him? Or her?
No.
Never seen either one.
Look, what's going on here?
This is Detective Carisi.
I'm Detective Rollins.
We're from the Special Victims Unit
and we're investigating
a rape allegation.
Is that your signature?
No, and I've never set foot
in the Luxembourg Hotel. Why?
There's a rapist out there
pretending to be you.
[dramatic music]
♪
We think someone is using
your name, your identity.
Any idea why somebody
would want to do that?
This woman, Laura, does she
have a child applying to Hudson?
Yeah, her son. Justin Collett.
[keys clacking]
[sighs]
Yeah, there he is.
Senior at York Prep.
3.9 GPA, 2250 SAT scores.
- That's good, right?
- Exceptional.
Problem is, we get 2,000 kids
with similar credentials.
We only accept 400.
The other spots
go to international students,
athletes, diversity candidates.
So, tough to be a rich,
white kid with great grades?
That... that's what you're saying?
At elite universities, anyway.
That must make you
a pretty popular man, right?
When you're, like, the... the doorman
for the most exclusive club
in the world.
Do any of these rich parents
ever try to, um...
influence your decision?
[scoffs] No, never.
That would be unethical.
- Do any of them offer sex?
- Excuse me?
What I mean is, if you wanted
to exploit your power
in a sexual way,
would there be any takers?
I've been offered all kinds
of outrageous things,
a part ownership at a winery
in Bordeaux, a Monet.
Last year, a hedge funder
with an underachieving son
offered me $5 million,
and yes, on occasion,
there have been sexual advances.
Laura Collett just woke up.
Benson's on her way to the hospital.
Mr. Kessler, thank you.
We'll be in touch.
We, uh, we met on campus.
Justin and I had just, uh,
taken a tour,
and I was... I was getting coffee
at the café,
and he, um...
he introduced himself to me.
He said he worked
at the admissions office.
The night that you two were
at the Luxembourg Hotel,
you sent him a text
that said, "Best sex ever."
And then ten minutes later,
you sent him another text that said,
"You raped me. Burn in hell."
So can you tell me what happened
in those ten minutes?
I figured out
he wasn't Alden Kessler.
How?
He mixed up a few statistics.
He said, um...
said the endowment was 9 billion.
It's actually 13.
You got suspicious?
Yeah.
Had you Googled him or,
you know, looked him up?
I did, and there he was
on some professor's Instagram page.
Just right there, and I'm...
I mean, I'm stunned.
I'm stunned, and I call him.
I called this man that
I just had sex with, okay?
And I confront him,
and he laughs at me.
And he hangs up,
and I call him again,
and... and...
and he doesn't answer,
so I sent the text
about him raping me.
I mean, I didn't... I didn't
mean it literally,
but I wanted him to know
how disgusting he was
and how upset I was,
and then...
[solemn music]
[sniffles]
Did you mean to hurt yourself?
No. I was...
I was trying to numb the pain.
♪
I would never abandon my family.
♪
So you didn't know
the true identity of this man,
which means that you never consented
to having sex with him.
Wait a minute.
What... what are you saying?
What... what he did was a crime?
I'm saying that what he did
to you is rape.
♪
She screwed some guy trying to
get her kid into college?
- Quid pro quo.
- But she got played.
Ended up having sex with some jackass
pretending to be
a big shot at Hudson.
Which makes it rape.
In her mind, anyway.
Just being real, lying to have
sex is just part of the game.
I mean, back in the day,
I pretended to be
Melle Mel's cousin one night.
You trying to tell me that was rape?
- Things have changed, Fin.
- Not that much.
Everybody's lying in the club.
Trust me on that.
No, no, she consented to
having sex with Alden Kessler,
not some stranger
pretending to be Alden Kessler,
so ask me, that's rape.
Let's find this guy.
Do we have any leads?
No, not much.
The wine bottle came back
negative for prints,
and the only lead I got
when I was at Laura's townhouse,
I found a few personal notes
written to her
on Kessler's Hudson stationary.
Oh, that guy was selling it.
If it's really Kessler's stationary
that means that the suspect
has access to his office.
Time to take another college tour.
_
68 grand a year for this?
I don't get all the fuss.
Yeah, me neither,
but a lot of people do.
Yeah, this imposter obviously
witnessed all the groveling
and ass-kissing up close
and personal
- that goes on around here.
- Makes sense.
He saw he had a captive
audience, decided to exploit it.
Yeah, but... right, but guys
have been doing that for years.
Right? Lying, exaggerating,
manipulating.
- You don't think it's rape?
- I-I think it's disgusting,
but where do you draw the line?
Like, say this kid,
says he grew up on Fifth Avenue,
but he's really
from Jersey City, or say a guy,
he says he makes
200,000 grand a year,
but he really only makes 100,
you know? I mean, is that rape?
This guy's different.
He's a predator.
Well, I just don't like gray.
We're cops, not lawyers.
- Speak for yourself.
- [chuckles]
I keep forgetting.
- Is that an insult? Go ahead.
- Actually, it's a compliment.
That's Tom Metcalf, campus security.
We hired him two months ago.
We had about 20 extra people
during application season.
Things can get little nuts.
A few days ago, I would have
found that hard to believe.
Why do you need Tom? He in trouble?
No, no.
We just... we want to talk to him.
- He punched out at 5:12.
- Can you call him?
Find out where he is?
You know, pretend you got
to talk to him
about work or something.
[dark music]
♪
[indistinct chatter]
♪
You know, I played
baseball at Vanderbilt.
You really work at Goldman?
Don't take this the wrong way,
but you look like
a construction worker.
I produce movies. Mostly comedies.
You ever hear of the
"40-Year-Old-Virgin?"
No way.
That's one of my favorites.
♪
34,000 applications.
We accepted 10%.
71% of those applicants chose Hudson.
We now have a yield rate
that's higher than Princeton.
How do you know all that, Tom?
- Tom? My name is...
- Let me guess. Alden?
Why don't we go back to my place?
Laura Collett overdosed?
That's horrible.
Well, she said that you lied to her.
That you pretended
to be Alden Kessler,
and when she found out,
she got pretty upset.
That's terrible.
I'm... I'm so sorry.
So you admit you lied to her
about being somebody else?
I told her I worked in admissions,
and I left out the fact
that I was a security guard,
and she made assumptions.
You know, as far as I know,
that's not a crime.
I even looked it up.
Well, we're just trying to figure out
what happened that night.
I mean, I got to do my job,
but between you and me,
I don't even know why you're here.
Honestly, I dated this chick
once in college.
I dated her for a whole semester.
She thought I was
an exchange student from Italy.
It was the best sex I ever had.
Yeah, well, that whole
foreign thing works with,
you know, a certain niche audience.
This guy thinks
he's pretty clever, huh?
So does this guy.
So is it just college moms,
or do you work other angles too?
What's the point of this meeting?
Look, Tom, I need
to hear your side of this
before things
get blown out of proportion.
My side, it's simple.
I met Laura.
We had a few dates.
That's that.
Have you ever impersonated
other people?
Come on, man to man.
Like I said,
it's not against the law.
If you ask me,
it's a brilliant strategy,
like taking advantage
of the tax code.
You find a loophole, you exploit it.
Well, you got nothing to worry about.
That's my point.
So you have
impersonated other people?
- Of course.
- Well, let me guess.
Hedge fund guy, right?
Oh, please, that's for rookies.
I play much more
sophisticated angles.
Oh, such as?
I used to work security
in a medical building.
Heard all this lingo.
Next thing you know,
the neurologist is in the house.
Hmm.
"Amy, my main focus
is neuromuscular disease,
but if truth be told,
my true passion is poetry."
That is genius.
It's all about the humble brag.
I'm writing a book about
all this to help regular guys
close the deal with beautiful women.
Let's go back
to Laura though, all right?
Did she actually ever say yes
to you, to Tom, before sex?
Or did she just think
she was about to get after it
with some hot shot from Hudson?
Am I under arrest?
[tense music]
No.
♪
Then I'm out of here.
♪
I'm gonna send you a copy of my book.
If you're nice, I might even
autograph it for you.
♪
It sounds like Rape by Fraud.
The problem is that doesn't
exist in New York criminal code.
I know, but we can't
just let this guy walk.
There's got to be
some kind of statute or theory
that we can use to prosecute
this kind of vile behavior.
People vs. Hough, 1994.
A twin tricks his brother's wife
into having sex with him.
The court rules there was wrongdoing,
but no crime was committed
since the law doesn't cover
that type of behavior.
Okay, so maybe it's time
we update New York law
into the 21st Century.
Well, there have been rumblings about
a new bill in the legislature.
A case like this
could kick start things.
Are you sure the victim
is willing to testify?
I will talk to her.
And our repugnant ladies' man,
he's done this before?
Well, it sounds like it.
He told Carisi
that he was writing a book
about his various conquests.
If we can establish
a consistent pattern,
it would help sway the jury.
Great, I'll need a warrant
to keep digging.
Yeah.
_
Do I need to stick around for this?
Well, it's better you stay,
if you don't mind.
This guy Metcalf a criminal?
A person of interest.
Rollins,
"Dr. Michael Mandlebaum,
Stanford University
Medical School."
Huh, the guy definitely backstops.
[scoffs] Hey, check this out.
"My Mali Journey," Stephanie Dowling.
I mean, he's got desperate moms
submitting their kids work to him.
Hmm, look. Look at that.
"Alden, thanks for reading this.
"Stephanie is a special young lady.
"See you tomorrow afternoon
at the Strathmore.
Can't wait. Erin."
It sounds like another potential vic.
What's the Strathmore?
A new luxury building in Soho.
Prices start at 10 million.
Oh, and Metcalf's got a place there?
Sounds like another con.
- When was that note sent?
- Yesterday. Today's the day.
All right,
we might be able to stop this.
I'll call Liv.
_
Erin Dowling's phone is still
going straight to her voicemail.
Excuse me.
Lieutenant Benson from SVU.
Have you seen this man?
Our tenants are very private.
Is there something else
I can help you with?
- It's an emergency.
- That's Mr. Kessler.
Look, I just clocked in.
I haven't seen him.
- He lives here?
- He stays in Mr. Zeng's place
sometimes. 24B.
What's going on?
♪
Oh, hey.
[chuckles] Small world.
Benson, right?
We met the other day.
- Erin Dowling up there?
- Yeah.
She's probably catching
her breath right about now.
You know you got
a stupid smile, right?
Are you threatening me, Detective?
Let him go, Fin.
♪
And he's done this to other
prospective Hudson moms?
Yes, he gets off on taking
advantage of anxious women.
Look, I know
that this is traumatic...
More like humiliating.
My husband and I have spent
over a $1/2 million
on our daughter's education.
We want a return on our investment,
but the college
admissions process is... brutal.
My daughter's smart,
but normal smart,
not prodigy smart,
and she's not a minority,
or an elite athlete, or violinist.
- Okay, so where'd you meet him?
- The café on Hudson's campus.
My daughter was there.
He approached me.
And you thought he was
Alden Kessler till right now?
Yes.
I am so sorry, but I want you to know
that we intend to prosecute this man
for what he's done,
and we hope that we can count
on you to cooperate.
Are you joking?
You want me to tell the world
that I was willing to sleep
with the admissions director
to get my daughter into college?
You didn't consent
to having sex with Tom Metcalf.
He defrauded you.
We were two adults playing a game,
and the hustler got hustled.
Lesson learned.
♪
What now?
Well, a crime was committed.
Process it like any other case.
I'll call CSU.
♪
Well, sir, I appreciate
your cooperation.
Thank you so much.
That was the owner
of Metcalf's sex pad.
By the way, it's cloudy in Hong Kong.
- Does he know Metcalf?
- Never heard of him.
Then how'd he get in that condo?
Don't know.
CSU find anything
in Zeng's apartment?
Yeah, actually, something good.
Our imposter...
is a filmmaker, too.
Showed compassion,
breadth of experience...
So you think it will
help her chances?
I believe it will make her
more competitive
and allow me to advocate
more passionately on her behalf.
Oh, we're not done.
There's more.
Well...
- Everything okay?
- Yeah.
Just, uh, Justin came in third
at a cross country meet.
He wants to go out
to dinner to celebrate,
so... I think I should go.
The camera was hidden?
He cut a hole in the dresser.
You're sure Metcalf filmed this?
CSU's running the camera
for prints, touch DNA,
but he's clearly
the leader of the clubhouse.
How many women are on that tape?
Five, all mothers,
all trying to help their kid
get into Hudson.
Have you identified the other women?
Yes, we have, everyone,
but none of them are interested
in filing a complaint.
- Understandable.
- Which is why he keeps doing
- what he is doing.
- Well, he's revolting.
There's no question, but the
victim isn't exactly perfect.
I completely agree with you.
She made a horrific decision,
but this case is about
something bigger than Laura.
How many more women are we gonna
let this guy victimize?
I mean, win or lose, we need
to make a statement here.
Okay.
You win.
Pick him up.
♪
We're doing the right thing.
I know.
That's what I'm worried about.
♪
Yes, I had sex with these women,
but I never recorded a damn thing.
Mr. Metcalf, you can con
your desperate soccer moms,
but you can't con us.
- I never taped a damn thing.
- Okay, so who did?
Mr. Zeng?
What am I even doing here?
I've done nothing wrong.
Since when is having sex a crime?
What you did isn't sex.
Trust me.
If you arrested every guy
who ever lied to get women,
you'd have 50 million men in prison.
We're not here to debate
the ethics of your behavior,
but we are willing to discuss a deal.
If you are willing to plead guilty
to sexual assault
in the third degree...
Sexual assault? You kidding me?
These chicks were begging for it.
If anything, they assaulted me.
Yes or no?
Kiss my ass.
Mr. Metcalf, you are under arrest.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say
can and will be used
against you in a court of law.
Okay, so this prosecutor's
gonna file rape charges?
Yes.
Hey, Justin.
How you doing?
Sorry, he's just...
he's having a hard time.
- Understandable.
- He's just... he's terrified
all of this is gonna become public,
so...
[sighs]
You think we can win this case?
I think that we have
a pretty decent chance,
and we are going to need you
to testify,
to stand up there,
tell that jury the depths
of Metcalf's deceit.
It's just, you know,
my family, they're, um...
they're ashamed, as you just saw.
I mean, this Metcalf guy,
he... it's like he...
he saw how weak and vulnerable
I was, you know?
And he knew... he knew
how obsessed I was
with getting Justin into Hudson.
I understand.
It's very easy to get lost
in this private school madness.
And he preys on every weakness
and... and doubt you possess.
I just... I feel so stupid
and pathetic.
But what he did, I mean,
he... he made me hate myself
even more than I do,
which is not easy.
[solemn music]
♪
I want him to feel the humiliation
and pain that I felt.
♪
We're gonna do our best, Laura.
♪
- That I can promise you.
- Okay.
_
First off, there is no proof
that my client actually
recorded these sex tapes.
None. Moreover, Laura Collett is
the only woman on these tapes
who's filed a police report.
The other women
have not come forward,
and they have refused to
cooperate with the prosecution.
As such, these tapes are irrelevant,
and without question,
more prejudicial than probative.
If the prosecution wants
to talk about sex tapes
then they should charge my client
with unlawful surveillance.
- Don't worry, we intend to.
- That's great,
but we're here to try a rape case.
So the video pertaining
to Mrs. Collett is admissible.
The rest of it stays out.
Your Honor, there's a pattern
of conduct here...
Like I said, Laura Collett is in.
The other ladies are out.
Being a prosecutor isn't enough.
You want to be a legislator, too.
Excuse me?
Correct me if I'm wrong,
Mr. Barba,
but your job is to bring cases
that are actually crimes
under the New York Criminal Code.
We presented the facts
to the grand jury,
who delivered an indictment.
I once indicted a ham
and cheese sandwich
for triple homicide.
Well, the defense filed
the motion to dismiss...
You want me to kick a rape case
in this political climate
without hearing all of the evidence?
What's really going on here?
You want press?
You're laying the bed
for a political run?
With all due respect,
Judge Bertuccio,
you're out of line.
Oh, be careful, Counselor.
Just because you preface something
with "all due respect"
doesn't mean it's respectable.
- I didn't intend to...
- Do not use my courtroom
for your own agenda.
Do you hear me?
Are you asking me
to dismiss the case?
No, no.
[chuckles]
I would never ask a prosecutor
to dismiss a case that he believes
is worthy of the court's time.
That would be an abuse
of judicial power.
[tense music]
♪
_
Laura Collett met
the defendant on the campus
of Hudson University.
He pretended to be
a man named Alden Kessler,
the Director of Admissions of Hudson.
Laura and the defendant began
to communicate, socialize.
Eventually, they had sex,
but Laura Collett thought
she was having sex
with Alden Kessler,
a distinguished academic
from Philadelphia
and a graduate of Harvard,
not Tom Metcalf,
an undistinguished security
guard from Ridgewood, Queens,
and a graduate of
P.S. 346.
As such, Laura Collett
never consented
to having sex with the defendant.
She consented to having sex
with Alden Kessler.
This, ladies and gentlemen,
is not a lie.
It's not a clever ruse.
It's rape.
My client, Tom Metcalf,
is an imaginative,
fast-talking,
self-proclaimed ladies' man.
Sure, he exaggerates and embellishes
the facts and circumstances
of his humble, mediocre life.
Not too long ago,
guys like this were
called pickup artists
or playboys.
Today, in an attempt
to gain media attention for himself
and to advance his own personal,
liberal, political agenda,
Mr. Barba wants to
call them rapists.
Laura, did you ever agree
to have sex with Tom Metcalf?
No.
I never would have
spent time with him,
let alone...
have sex with him,
if I knew who he really was.
- Why?
- Because my only objective
was to help my son get into Hudson.
It was more of
a business transaction.
Thank you.
Nothing further.
A business transaction?
Like a prostitute?
- Objection.
- Overruled.
Answer the question.
I didn't think of it like that.
He didn't give me money, but...
I suppose you're right.
I was giving him sex,
and he was giving me
something of value,
immense value, in return.
Again, I'm not...
I'm not proud of what I did.
I was just trying to help my son,
and I know...
I know this sounds silly, but...
I dropped out of college
after two years,
and I just... I just
wanted him to be better.
I wanted him to enjoy
all the... all the things
that a prestigious college
education offers.
I was...
willing to do anything.
I mean, we have money
but not enough to buy our way,
so I... I thought...
I thought this would help.
Using sex to influence a decision
that's meant to be based on merit?
It's a hell of a way
to help your son.
I think we get the idea,
Miss Staines. Move on.
So, Mrs. Collett,
minutes before you overdosed
on Valium and alcohol,
you sent a text
to Mr. Metcalf saying,
"Incredible night.
"Just gonna say it.
Best sex ever."
But now you're saying you
didn't consent to having sex.
I sent the text before
I knew who he was,
and I was just
pretending I enjoyed it.
So you lied?
Yes.
What else are you lying about,
Mrs. Collett?
- Objection.
- Withdrawn.
Nothing further.
[tense music]
Laura, did you send the defendant
another text message that night?
Yes, when I found out
who he was,
I texted him again.
I said that he raped me
and I hoped he burned in hell.
♪
The People rest.
♪
The Defense calls Gary Bell.
Your Honor, may I approach?
♪
Gary Bell's not on the witness list.
We have no idea who he is
or why he's being called.
He's a doorman at the Strathmore.
He just recently came forward.
And what is the crux
of his testimony?
That he heard Mrs. Collett
refer to Tom Metcalf as Tom,
not Alden.
She knew who Metcalf was.
After the third or fourth time
they had sex,
Metcalf came clean.
He told her who he really was,
and she kept sleeping
with him anyway.
So much for no consent.
♪
Metcalf says that
you knew his real name,
that you had sex with him
three or four times.
That's a lie!
We had sex once, at the hotel,
and that is it,
and I never... I never knew
his real name until that night.
Why would I put myself
through all this
if I knew who this pig really was?
My son can barely look at me!
My husband is going
to file for divorce.
We believe you. We do.
Now, do you remember seeing this man?
Gary Bell, he was the doorman
at the building
where you two had drinks one night.
I don't know.
I don't know... maybe.
What difference does it make?
I never called him Tom, ever.
He's gonna get away with this, isn't he?
This whole... this whole thing,
this whole case
has been a big waste of time.
Why did you tell me to testify?
♪
Okay, so what do we know
about this doorman?
He and Metcalf went to the same high
school. Found the yearbook online.
Here's a picture of them
together in shop class.
So they know each other,
but why is he willing to lie for him
and give him access
to a luxury condo?
It's about more than friendship.
I spoke with Bell's supervisor
at the last hotel he worked at...
He was the night manager
at the Mapleton, right?
Till he got fired for setting up
a camera in the women's restroom.
Well, there you go.
He's a watcher.
No wonder we never found any
sex tapes on Metcalf's computer.
Because he wasn't filming the vics.
His friend Bell was.
Okay, but CSU said
that there were no prints
and no evidence on that camera.
Yeah, but the doorman
doesn't know that.
I'm not sure what we're doing here.
Mr. Bell's testimony
is not going to change.
He heard what he heard.
- And he filmed what he filmed.
- Sorry?
You filmed your friend Metcalf
and his various victims having sex.
I didn't film nothing.
Your fingerprints were
all over the camera.
You might as well
have autographed it.
Unlawful surveillance is a felony.
That means prison, and we'll be
filing those charges soon.
The only question is...
will I also be filing
perjury charges?
You agreed to lie for Metcalf
because he threatened to out you
for making those
illegal sex videos, right?
But now that we know
about those videos too,
you got no reason to lie for Metcalf.
I'd err on the side
of telling the truth.
Probably gonna be better for you
in the long run.
- Maybe I misheard...
- No, no, stop talking.
If, for some reason,
my client thinks he made a mistake,
you'll take that into account
when it comes time
to plead out the illegal
surveillance charge?
_
Your Honor, the Defense no
longer plans to call Gary Bell.
In fact, we don't intend
to call any witnesses.
You're, uh, resting case
before presenting it?
Correct.
You wish to present a closing
argument, Miss Staines?
Yes, Your Honor.
Ladies and gentlemen,
my client isn't perfect.
Truth is, he's not even decent.
If he tried to date me,
I would laugh at him,
or I'd punch him in the face.
What I'm saying is,
he's disgusting, not a rapist.
Mr. Metcalf is a sad,
frustrated man
who longed for success
but never found it,
so he creates characters in his mind,
successful, respected characters,
like an actor
or an undercover detective might do,
and in the course of assuming
these alternate identities,
he meets lots of women
and sometimes has sex with them.
It's not an ethical or moral way
to conduct one's romantic life,
but it's not criminal, either.
Mr. Barba wants this court
to pass judgment
on my client for lying to women,
but as of right now, being a jackass
isn't a crime under New York law,
which means that you, the jury,
have a legal obligation
to find Tom Metcalf not guilty.
♪
A compelling closing, Miss Staines.
Thank you.
And I'm sure the jury
found it persuasive, as well.
How about you, Mr. Barba?
What was your take?
Did you find it illuminating,
per chance?
Your Honor, I stand by the evidence.
I don't care about the evidence.
I care about the law,
or the lack thereof.
You're a talented prosecutor
with a bright future,
and if I were you,
I would take Miss Staines out
for a cup of that gourmet coffee
everyone drinks nowadays
and beg her to accept the plea
to a lesser charge,
which I'm sure she'll accept,
because she's a reasonable woman
and knows that her client
is a repulsive human being.
Judges and prosecutors
are supposed to enforce the laws
that exist, not the ones
they think should exist,
and when they lose sight of that,
they run the risk of getting
their pants pulled down
in public and having their
sterling reputations sullied.
Criminal impersonation
in the second degree?
That's a misdemeanor.
It's the best I could do.
Bertuccio was prepared
to overturn the verdict.
Wait, he said that?
In so many words.
- Have you told Laura?
- No.
I called her a few times,
but I don't know where she is.
Okay, I'll find her.
Break the news to her in person.
[dramatic music]
[siren wailing]
♪
What happened?
Mr. Collett, is it Laura?
Watch him.
Excuse me.
Coming through.
Oh, no, my baby!
[sobbing]
Oh, my baby!
Oh, no!
♪
[sobbing]
♪
No!
[sobbing]
♪
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.
Maybe we should set up
a few more meetings
with the consultant.
- We're fine
- Oh, I just found out
that Matthew Sun
is on the board at Penn...
- We're running late.
- Okay. All right.
Oh, honey? Honey?
Just remember, okay?
It's supposed to be
a conversation, you know?
Just avoid yes or no answers.
- Okay, Mom, I know.
- You look good.
I'll call you when
we get to Boston, okay?
Okay. All right. Oh!
Don't forget to mention your
three-week seminar in Nairobi.
Thank you.
[phone buzzing]
Hey.
Great.
Yeah, I'll see you soon.
[dark music]
[both breathing heavily]
[moans]
[both breathing heavily]
♪
Laura, are you sure
you want to have sex?
Absolutely.
Why the hell do you think we're here?
[both moaning]
♪
[water faucet running]
♪
- All right, thank you.
- Hi.
Hey, the victim's name
is Laura Collett.
She's on her way to the hospital.
It looks like an overdose,
but no note.
- Who found her?
- Maintenance.
2:00 a.m.
Tub started overflowing,
leaking water into the room below.
- Did she check in alone?
- Well, we're not sure.
We're trying to pull video
at the moment,
but, I mean, the room is in her name.
She charged it on her AMEX.
- Key card?
- Last used at 9:56 p.m.
- Any witnesses on the floor?
- No, nobody heard a peep.
Oh, looks romantic.
- Flowers, a bottle of Brunello.
- Yeah.
CSU's gonna check that for narcotics.
You said there was
an outcry witness, right?
Yeah, the suspect via text.
- Okay, you got a name?
- No.
I called the number a few times.
No answer, no voicemail.
Laura's last text was
11:56 last night.
♪
"You raped me.
Burn in hell."
Okay, clear and concise.
Not exactly.
She sent another text to the
same guy ten minutes earlier.
"Incredible night.
Just gonna say it.
Best sex ever."
So, in ten minutes
she goes from "best sex ever"
to "you raped me?"
How the hell does that happen?
♪
[dramatic music]
♪
Hey.
The vic's at the hospital.
She's still unresponsive.
Nearly lethal dose of
alcohol and diazepam.
Doctor says it's looking 50/50.
Any other drugs in her system?
No, and the doctor did
a full tox panel.
No Rohypnol or other date rape drugs.
Okay, so the victim has sex,
and then has a change of heart
after the fact.
She goes from best sex ever
to rape in ten minutes.
- That's a pretty big change of heart.
- Ten minutes or ten hours.
The question is,
what turns this into a rape?
TARU said these texts went
to a burner?
- Yeah.
- All right.
So the victim,
Laura Collett, married,
lives in Manhattan.
What else do we know?
She's 42. She has one son.
And here's a screen shot
of her phone.
Just another perfect family.
Wow, it's just too early
to be that jaded.
Next time I'll wait till noon.
The husband, he's at the hospital?
- Yeah, unis called.
- Great, head down there.
See what he knows.
_
Excuse me. Mr. Collett?
I'm Detective Carisi.
This is Detective Rollins.
We're looking into what happened
with your wife last night.
You're investigating her
for overdosing on pills?
No, no, we're not.
We're trying to understand
what happened prior to that.
- Prior?
- Yeah.
You see,
your wife sent a text message
from her phone
accusing somebody of rape.
So she was at a hotel
with a man who raped her?
Right now, we're just trying
to figure out who she was with.
When was the last time
you talked to Laura?
Late afternoon.
I was... my son and I were
in Boston, visiting colleges.
Did you know that she was staying
at the Luxembourg Hotel that night?
Mr. Collett, do you have
any idea who Laura was with?
Maybe with somebody from work?
No. She doesn't work.
She's involved with
various charities, but...
- Okay.
- We were happy.
- At least I thought we were.
- Had she taken up anything new?
Tennis, hiking, or yoga?
More like college admissions.
That's all she thinks about,
where my son will be going
to college next year.
Right.
Well, look, Mr. Collett, we know
this is all overwhelming,
but we'd like your consent
to do a rape kit.
[solemn music]
♪
What do you got?
The hotel just sent over
security footage.
All right, at 6:14 p.m.,
Laura walks in the hotel lobby.
She says hello
to this tall, white man.
Looks early 40s.
He's decent looking.
Well-dressed.
I'll run it through
facial-rec.
Great, so meanwhile,
head back to that hotel,
show that image to guests,
doormen, front desk.
See if anybody knows who this guy is.
All right, take a ride
to the Luxembourg Hotel?
No, I can't.
Barba set up an interview with
me with some ADA in Brooklyn.
Brooklyn?
You got to grow a beard and
start making artisan pickles?
I'm just seeing
what's out there, all right?
For the record,
I like artisan pickles.
- Mm.
- How do I look?
Like a cop.
Hey, how did Noah do?
Okay, did you talk to his teacher?
Oh.
Okay, thanks, Lucy.
Everything good with the little guy?
Apparently, Noah's language skills
are slightly underdeveloped
relative to his peer group.
You know,
I've just been doing my best,
you know,
reading and talking, singing...
So he's not getting
into the fancy school?
They don't know yet.
Anything new with Laura Collett?
Rape kit came back.
No semen, bruises, or abrasions,
but she did have sex.
They found traces
of condom lubricant.
- Any facial-rec?
- No, the guy's still a ghost.
- Anything on social media?
- No pops on the perp,
but check this out.
She DM'd her son the day
before the incident.
"I'm sorry. Call me."
And he writes back,
"You make me sick.
I hope you die."
Huh.
- Those are pretty strong words.
- Yeah, maybe the kid found out
his mother was seeing somebody else.
I'll go back to the hospital,
see what he knows.
How'd your meeting go with LaRosa?
What, you think I don't hear things?
[footsteps approaching]
Hey, Justin. How's your mom?
She's still unconscious, but
the doctor sounds optimistic.
Good.
Not sure if he really means it,
or he's just trying to placate me.
Placate, huh? Nice.
SAT word, right?
[laughs softly]
So listen, we got this
from the hotel security.
Do you recognize this guy
with your mom?
No, sorry.
That's okay.
[sighs]
So listen, Justin. I, um...
I saw the message
you sent your mother
the night of the incident.
What was she so sorry about?
Why did you say
that you wanted her to die?
She kept bugging me about Hudson.
She really wants me to go there.
She thinks it's so prestigious.
You know, my mother...
[chuckles]
My mother didn't even know
I applied to college.
No, seriously.
Two days before
classes started, I said,
"Hey, Ma, can I borrow
400 bucks for books?
I just got into St. John's."
Lucky you.
My mom's been on
four campus tours of Hudson,
sat in on six lectures,
and had three lunches with some guy
from the admissions office.
The other day, she asked me
to have lunch with him.
Said he might be the difference
maker, and I snapped.
I'm sick of dealing with
all her stress over all this.
I'm the one applying.
[solemn music]
I just hope that's not the
last thing I ever said to her.
♪
[sighs]
Did she ever mention
the name of the guy
at the...
the admissions office?
No, she never mentioned it.
Do you think she...
that because of our fight,
she took all those pills?
No.
No, put that out of your head.
I think she loves you very much,
and it's because of that she's
gonna make a full recovery.
♪
Come on.
You got to hit
that thing harder, man.
You know what's overrated?
Wireless, and putting lemon in water.
I don't get that.
All right.
So Justin says that his mother
was spending time with some guy
who works in the office of admissions
of Hudson University.
I got 27 males
in that department, 19 women.
Takes all those people
to look at applications
and say yes or no?
Hey, I just got back from the hotel,
and nobody recognizes
the unknown male,
but I did get a name
that you might find interesting.
Laura signed into
the spa at 6:33 p.m.,
and a guy named Alden Kessler
signed in at the exact same time.
Hey, look at that.
He's at the top of my list.
Director of Admissions.
_
Alden Kessler. Where is he?
Thanks.
Hey, where's Alden Kessler?
You're looking at him.
- Wait, you're Alden Kessler?
- Is there a problem?
Yeah.
A tall white one.
Do you know him? Or her?
No.
Never seen either one.
Look, what's going on here?
This is Detective Carisi.
I'm Detective Rollins.
We're from the Special Victims Unit
and we're investigating
a rape allegation.
Is that your signature?
No, and I've never set foot
in the Luxembourg Hotel. Why?
There's a rapist out there
pretending to be you.
[dramatic music]
♪
We think someone is using
your name, your identity.
Any idea why somebody
would want to do that?
This woman, Laura, does she
have a child applying to Hudson?
Yeah, her son. Justin Collett.
[keys clacking]
[sighs]
Yeah, there he is.
Senior at York Prep.
3.9 GPA, 2250 SAT scores.
- That's good, right?
- Exceptional.
Problem is, we get 2,000 kids
with similar credentials.
We only accept 400.
The other spots
go to international students,
athletes, diversity candidates.
So, tough to be a rich,
white kid with great grades?
That... that's what you're saying?
At elite universities, anyway.
That must make you
a pretty popular man, right?
When you're, like, the... the doorman
for the most exclusive club
in the world.
Do any of these rich parents
ever try to, um...
influence your decision?
[scoffs] No, never.
That would be unethical.
- Do any of them offer sex?
- Excuse me?
What I mean is, if you wanted
to exploit your power
in a sexual way,
would there be any takers?
I've been offered all kinds
of outrageous things,
a part ownership at a winery
in Bordeaux, a Monet.
Last year, a hedge funder
with an underachieving son
offered me $5 million,
and yes, on occasion,
there have been sexual advances.
Laura Collett just woke up.
Benson's on her way to the hospital.
Mr. Kessler, thank you.
We'll be in touch.
We, uh, we met on campus.
Justin and I had just, uh,
taken a tour,
and I was... I was getting coffee
at the café,
and he, um...
he introduced himself to me.
He said he worked
at the admissions office.
The night that you two were
at the Luxembourg Hotel,
you sent him a text
that said, "Best sex ever."
And then ten minutes later,
you sent him another text that said,
"You raped me. Burn in hell."
So can you tell me what happened
in those ten minutes?
I figured out
he wasn't Alden Kessler.
How?
He mixed up a few statistics.
He said, um...
said the endowment was 9 billion.
It's actually 13.
You got suspicious?
Yeah.
Had you Googled him or,
you know, looked him up?
I did, and there he was
on some professor's Instagram page.
Just right there, and I'm...
I mean, I'm stunned.
I'm stunned, and I call him.
I called this man that
I just had sex with, okay?
And I confront him,
and he laughs at me.
And he hangs up,
and I call him again,
and... and...
and he doesn't answer,
so I sent the text
about him raping me.
I mean, I didn't... I didn't
mean it literally,
but I wanted him to know
how disgusting he was
and how upset I was,
and then...
[solemn music]
[sniffles]
Did you mean to hurt yourself?
No. I was...
I was trying to numb the pain.
♪
I would never abandon my family.
♪
So you didn't know
the true identity of this man,
which means that you never consented
to having sex with him.
Wait a minute.
What... what are you saying?
What... what he did was a crime?
I'm saying that what he did
to you is rape.
♪
She screwed some guy trying to
get her kid into college?
- Quid pro quo.
- But she got played.
Ended up having sex with some jackass
pretending to be
a big shot at Hudson.
Which makes it rape.
In her mind, anyway.
Just being real, lying to have
sex is just part of the game.
I mean, back in the day,
I pretended to be
Melle Mel's cousin one night.
You trying to tell me that was rape?
- Things have changed, Fin.
- Not that much.
Everybody's lying in the club.
Trust me on that.
No, no, she consented to
having sex with Alden Kessler,
not some stranger
pretending to be Alden Kessler,
so ask me, that's rape.
Let's find this guy.
Do we have any leads?
No, not much.
The wine bottle came back
negative for prints,
and the only lead I got
when I was at Laura's townhouse,
I found a few personal notes
written to her
on Kessler's Hudson stationary.
Oh, that guy was selling it.
If it's really Kessler's stationary
that means that the suspect
has access to his office.
Time to take another college tour.
_
68 grand a year for this?
I don't get all the fuss.
Yeah, me neither,
but a lot of people do.
Yeah, this imposter obviously
witnessed all the groveling
and ass-kissing up close
and personal
- that goes on around here.
- Makes sense.
He saw he had a captive
audience, decided to exploit it.
Yeah, but... right, but guys
have been doing that for years.
Right? Lying, exaggerating,
manipulating.
- You don't think it's rape?
- I-I think it's disgusting,
but where do you draw the line?
Like, say this kid,
says he grew up on Fifth Avenue,
but he's really
from Jersey City, or say a guy,
he says he makes
200,000 grand a year,
but he really only makes 100,
you know? I mean, is that rape?
This guy's different.
He's a predator.
Well, I just don't like gray.
We're cops, not lawyers.
- Speak for yourself.
- [chuckles]
I keep forgetting.
- Is that an insult? Go ahead.
- Actually, it's a compliment.
That's Tom Metcalf, campus security.
We hired him two months ago.
We had about 20 extra people
during application season.
Things can get little nuts.
A few days ago, I would have
found that hard to believe.
Why do you need Tom? He in trouble?
No, no.
We just... we want to talk to him.
- He punched out at 5:12.
- Can you call him?
Find out where he is?
You know, pretend you got
to talk to him
about work or something.
[dark music]
♪
[indistinct chatter]
♪
You know, I played
baseball at Vanderbilt.
You really work at Goldman?
Don't take this the wrong way,
but you look like
a construction worker.
I produce movies. Mostly comedies.
You ever hear of the
"40-Year-Old-Virgin?"
No way.
That's one of my favorites.
♪
34,000 applications.
We accepted 10%.
71% of those applicants chose Hudson.
We now have a yield rate
that's higher than Princeton.
How do you know all that, Tom?
- Tom? My name is...
- Let me guess. Alden?
Why don't we go back to my place?
Laura Collett overdosed?
That's horrible.
Well, she said that you lied to her.
That you pretended
to be Alden Kessler,
and when she found out,
she got pretty upset.
That's terrible.
I'm... I'm so sorry.
So you admit you lied to her
about being somebody else?
I told her I worked in admissions,
and I left out the fact
that I was a security guard,
and she made assumptions.
You know, as far as I know,
that's not a crime.
I even looked it up.
Well, we're just trying to figure out
what happened that night.
I mean, I got to do my job,
but between you and me,
I don't even know why you're here.
Honestly, I dated this chick
once in college.
I dated her for a whole semester.
She thought I was
an exchange student from Italy.
It was the best sex I ever had.
Yeah, well, that whole
foreign thing works with,
you know, a certain niche audience.
This guy thinks
he's pretty clever, huh?
So does this guy.
So is it just college moms,
or do you work other angles too?
What's the point of this meeting?
Look, Tom, I need
to hear your side of this
before things
get blown out of proportion.
My side, it's simple.
I met Laura.
We had a few dates.
That's that.
Have you ever impersonated
other people?
Come on, man to man.
Like I said,
it's not against the law.
If you ask me,
it's a brilliant strategy,
like taking advantage
of the tax code.
You find a loophole, you exploit it.
Well, you got nothing to worry about.
That's my point.
So you have
impersonated other people?
- Of course.
- Well, let me guess.
Hedge fund guy, right?
Oh, please, that's for rookies.
I play much more
sophisticated angles.
Oh, such as?
I used to work security
in a medical building.
Heard all this lingo.
Next thing you know,
the neurologist is in the house.
Hmm.
"Amy, my main focus
is neuromuscular disease,
but if truth be told,
my true passion is poetry."
That is genius.
It's all about the humble brag.
I'm writing a book about
all this to help regular guys
close the deal with beautiful women.
Let's go back
to Laura though, all right?
Did she actually ever say yes
to you, to Tom, before sex?
Or did she just think
she was about to get after it
with some hot shot from Hudson?
Am I under arrest?
[tense music]
No.
♪
Then I'm out of here.
♪
I'm gonna send you a copy of my book.
If you're nice, I might even
autograph it for you.
♪
It sounds like Rape by Fraud.
The problem is that doesn't
exist in New York criminal code.
I know, but we can't
just let this guy walk.
There's got to be
some kind of statute or theory
that we can use to prosecute
this kind of vile behavior.
People vs. Hough, 1994.
A twin tricks his brother's wife
into having sex with him.
The court rules there was wrongdoing,
but no crime was committed
since the law doesn't cover
that type of behavior.
Okay, so maybe it's time
we update New York law
into the 21st Century.
Well, there have been rumblings about
a new bill in the legislature.
A case like this
could kick start things.
Are you sure the victim
is willing to testify?
I will talk to her.
And our repugnant ladies' man,
he's done this before?
Well, it sounds like it.
He told Carisi
that he was writing a book
about his various conquests.
If we can establish
a consistent pattern,
it would help sway the jury.
Great, I'll need a warrant
to keep digging.
Yeah.
_
Do I need to stick around for this?
Well, it's better you stay,
if you don't mind.
This guy Metcalf a criminal?
A person of interest.
Rollins,
"Dr. Michael Mandlebaum,
Stanford University
Medical School."
Huh, the guy definitely backstops.
[scoffs] Hey, check this out.
"My Mali Journey," Stephanie Dowling.
I mean, he's got desperate moms
submitting their kids work to him.
Hmm, look. Look at that.
"Alden, thanks for reading this.
"Stephanie is a special young lady.
"See you tomorrow afternoon
at the Strathmore.
Can't wait. Erin."
It sounds like another potential vic.
What's the Strathmore?
A new luxury building in Soho.
Prices start at 10 million.
Oh, and Metcalf's got a place there?
Sounds like another con.
- When was that note sent?
- Yesterday. Today's the day.
All right,
we might be able to stop this.
I'll call Liv.
_
Erin Dowling's phone is still
going straight to her voicemail.
Excuse me.
Lieutenant Benson from SVU.
Have you seen this man?
Our tenants are very private.
Is there something else
I can help you with?
- It's an emergency.
- That's Mr. Kessler.
Look, I just clocked in.
I haven't seen him.
- He lives here?
- He stays in Mr. Zeng's place
sometimes. 24B.
What's going on?
♪
Oh, hey.
[chuckles] Small world.
Benson, right?
We met the other day.
- Erin Dowling up there?
- Yeah.
She's probably catching
her breath right about now.
You know you got
a stupid smile, right?
Are you threatening me, Detective?
Let him go, Fin.
♪
And he's done this to other
prospective Hudson moms?
Yes, he gets off on taking
advantage of anxious women.
Look, I know
that this is traumatic...
More like humiliating.
My husband and I have spent
over a $1/2 million
on our daughter's education.
We want a return on our investment,
but the college
admissions process is... brutal.
My daughter's smart,
but normal smart,
not prodigy smart,
and she's not a minority,
or an elite athlete, or violinist.
- Okay, so where'd you meet him?
- The café on Hudson's campus.
My daughter was there.
He approached me.
And you thought he was
Alden Kessler till right now?
Yes.
I am so sorry, but I want you to know
that we intend to prosecute this man
for what he's done,
and we hope that we can count
on you to cooperate.
Are you joking?
You want me to tell the world
that I was willing to sleep
with the admissions director
to get my daughter into college?
You didn't consent
to having sex with Tom Metcalf.
He defrauded you.
We were two adults playing a game,
and the hustler got hustled.
Lesson learned.
♪
What now?
Well, a crime was committed.
Process it like any other case.
I'll call CSU.
♪
Well, sir, I appreciate
your cooperation.
Thank you so much.
That was the owner
of Metcalf's sex pad.
By the way, it's cloudy in Hong Kong.
- Does he know Metcalf?
- Never heard of him.
Then how'd he get in that condo?
Don't know.
CSU find anything
in Zeng's apartment?
Yeah, actually, something good.
Our imposter...
is a filmmaker, too.
Showed compassion,
breadth of experience...
So you think it will
help her chances?
I believe it will make her
more competitive
and allow me to advocate
more passionately on her behalf.
Oh, we're not done.
There's more.
Well...
- Everything okay?
- Yeah.
Just, uh, Justin came in third
at a cross country meet.
He wants to go out
to dinner to celebrate,
so... I think I should go.
The camera was hidden?
He cut a hole in the dresser.
You're sure Metcalf filmed this?
CSU's running the camera
for prints, touch DNA,
but he's clearly
the leader of the clubhouse.
How many women are on that tape?
Five, all mothers,
all trying to help their kid
get into Hudson.
Have you identified the other women?
Yes, we have, everyone,
but none of them are interested
in filing a complaint.
- Understandable.
- Which is why he keeps doing
- what he is doing.
- Well, he's revolting.
There's no question, but the
victim isn't exactly perfect.
I completely agree with you.
She made a horrific decision,
but this case is about
something bigger than Laura.
How many more women are we gonna
let this guy victimize?
I mean, win or lose, we need
to make a statement here.
Okay.
You win.
Pick him up.
♪
We're doing the right thing.
I know.
That's what I'm worried about.
♪
Yes, I had sex with these women,
but I never recorded a damn thing.
Mr. Metcalf, you can con
your desperate soccer moms,
but you can't con us.
- I never taped a damn thing.
- Okay, so who did?
Mr. Zeng?
What am I even doing here?
I've done nothing wrong.
Since when is having sex a crime?
What you did isn't sex.
Trust me.
If you arrested every guy
who ever lied to get women,
you'd have 50 million men in prison.
We're not here to debate
the ethics of your behavior,
but we are willing to discuss a deal.
If you are willing to plead guilty
to sexual assault
in the third degree...
Sexual assault? You kidding me?
These chicks were begging for it.
If anything, they assaulted me.
Yes or no?
Kiss my ass.
Mr. Metcalf, you are under arrest.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say
can and will be used
against you in a court of law.
Okay, so this prosecutor's
gonna file rape charges?
Yes.
Hey, Justin.
How you doing?
Sorry, he's just...
he's having a hard time.
- Understandable.
- He's just... he's terrified
all of this is gonna become public,
so...
[sighs]
You think we can win this case?
I think that we have
a pretty decent chance,
and we are going to need you
to testify,
to stand up there,
tell that jury the depths
of Metcalf's deceit.
It's just, you know,
my family, they're, um...
they're ashamed, as you just saw.
I mean, this Metcalf guy,
he... it's like he...
he saw how weak and vulnerable
I was, you know?
And he knew... he knew
how obsessed I was
with getting Justin into Hudson.
I understand.
It's very easy to get lost
in this private school madness.
And he preys on every weakness
and... and doubt you possess.
I just... I feel so stupid
and pathetic.
But what he did, I mean,
he... he made me hate myself
even more than I do,
which is not easy.
[solemn music]
♪
I want him to feel the humiliation
and pain that I felt.
♪
We're gonna do our best, Laura.
♪
- That I can promise you.
- Okay.
_
First off, there is no proof
that my client actually
recorded these sex tapes.
None. Moreover, Laura Collett is
the only woman on these tapes
who's filed a police report.
The other women
have not come forward,
and they have refused to
cooperate with the prosecution.
As such, these tapes are irrelevant,
and without question,
more prejudicial than probative.
If the prosecution wants
to talk about sex tapes
then they should charge my client
with unlawful surveillance.
- Don't worry, we intend to.
- That's great,
but we're here to try a rape case.
So the video pertaining
to Mrs. Collett is admissible.
The rest of it stays out.
Your Honor, there's a pattern
of conduct here...
Like I said, Laura Collett is in.
The other ladies are out.
Being a prosecutor isn't enough.
You want to be a legislator, too.
Excuse me?
Correct me if I'm wrong,
Mr. Barba,
but your job is to bring cases
that are actually crimes
under the New York Criminal Code.
We presented the facts
to the grand jury,
who delivered an indictment.
I once indicted a ham
and cheese sandwich
for triple homicide.
Well, the defense filed
the motion to dismiss...
You want me to kick a rape case
in this political climate
without hearing all of the evidence?
What's really going on here?
You want press?
You're laying the bed
for a political run?
With all due respect,
Judge Bertuccio,
you're out of line.
Oh, be careful, Counselor.
Just because you preface something
with "all due respect"
doesn't mean it's respectable.
- I didn't intend to...
- Do not use my courtroom
for your own agenda.
Do you hear me?
Are you asking me
to dismiss the case?
No, no.
[chuckles]
I would never ask a prosecutor
to dismiss a case that he believes
is worthy of the court's time.
That would be an abuse
of judicial power.
[tense music]
♪
_
Laura Collett met
the defendant on the campus
of Hudson University.
He pretended to be
a man named Alden Kessler,
the Director of Admissions of Hudson.
Laura and the defendant began
to communicate, socialize.
Eventually, they had sex,
but Laura Collett thought
she was having sex
with Alden Kessler,
a distinguished academic
from Philadelphia
and a graduate of Harvard,
not Tom Metcalf,
an undistinguished security
guard from Ridgewood, Queens,
and a graduate of
P.S. 346.
As such, Laura Collett
never consented
to having sex with the defendant.
She consented to having sex
with Alden Kessler.
This, ladies and gentlemen,
is not a lie.
It's not a clever ruse.
It's rape.
My client, Tom Metcalf,
is an imaginative,
fast-talking,
self-proclaimed ladies' man.
Sure, he exaggerates and embellishes
the facts and circumstances
of his humble, mediocre life.
Not too long ago,
guys like this were
called pickup artists
or playboys.
Today, in an attempt
to gain media attention for himself
and to advance his own personal,
liberal, political agenda,
Mr. Barba wants to
call them rapists.
Laura, did you ever agree
to have sex with Tom Metcalf?
No.
I never would have
spent time with him,
let alone...
have sex with him,
if I knew who he really was.
- Why?
- Because my only objective
was to help my son get into Hudson.
It was more of
a business transaction.
Thank you.
Nothing further.
A business transaction?
Like a prostitute?
- Objection.
- Overruled.
Answer the question.
I didn't think of it like that.
He didn't give me money, but...
I suppose you're right.
I was giving him sex,
and he was giving me
something of value,
immense value, in return.
Again, I'm not...
I'm not proud of what I did.
I was just trying to help my son,
and I know...
I know this sounds silly, but...
I dropped out of college
after two years,
and I just... I just
wanted him to be better.
I wanted him to enjoy
all the... all the things
that a prestigious college
education offers.
I was...
willing to do anything.
I mean, we have money
but not enough to buy our way,
so I... I thought...
I thought this would help.
Using sex to influence a decision
that's meant to be based on merit?
It's a hell of a way
to help your son.
I think we get the idea,
Miss Staines. Move on.
So, Mrs. Collett,
minutes before you overdosed
on Valium and alcohol,
you sent a text
to Mr. Metcalf saying,
"Incredible night.
"Just gonna say it.
Best sex ever."
But now you're saying you
didn't consent to having sex.
I sent the text before
I knew who he was,
and I was just
pretending I enjoyed it.
So you lied?
Yes.
What else are you lying about,
Mrs. Collett?
- Objection.
- Withdrawn.
Nothing further.
[tense music]
Laura, did you send the defendant
another text message that night?
Yes, when I found out
who he was,
I texted him again.
I said that he raped me
and I hoped he burned in hell.
♪
The People rest.
♪
The Defense calls Gary Bell.
Your Honor, may I approach?
♪
Gary Bell's not on the witness list.
We have no idea who he is
or why he's being called.
He's a doorman at the Strathmore.
He just recently came forward.
And what is the crux
of his testimony?
That he heard Mrs. Collett
refer to Tom Metcalf as Tom,
not Alden.
She knew who Metcalf was.
After the third or fourth time
they had sex,
Metcalf came clean.
He told her who he really was,
and she kept sleeping
with him anyway.
So much for no consent.
♪
Metcalf says that
you knew his real name,
that you had sex with him
three or four times.
That's a lie!
We had sex once, at the hotel,
and that is it,
and I never... I never knew
his real name until that night.
Why would I put myself
through all this
if I knew who this pig really was?
My son can barely look at me!
My husband is going
to file for divorce.
We believe you. We do.
Now, do you remember seeing this man?
Gary Bell, he was the doorman
at the building
where you two had drinks one night.
I don't know.
I don't know... maybe.
What difference does it make?
I never called him Tom, ever.
He's gonna get away with this, isn't he?
This whole... this whole thing,
this whole case
has been a big waste of time.
Why did you tell me to testify?
♪
Okay, so what do we know
about this doorman?
He and Metcalf went to the same high
school. Found the yearbook online.
Here's a picture of them
together in shop class.
So they know each other,
but why is he willing to lie for him
and give him access
to a luxury condo?
It's about more than friendship.
I spoke with Bell's supervisor
at the last hotel he worked at...
He was the night manager
at the Mapleton, right?
Till he got fired for setting up
a camera in the women's restroom.
Well, there you go.
He's a watcher.
No wonder we never found any
sex tapes on Metcalf's computer.
Because he wasn't filming the vics.
His friend Bell was.
Okay, but CSU said
that there were no prints
and no evidence on that camera.
Yeah, but the doorman
doesn't know that.
I'm not sure what we're doing here.
Mr. Bell's testimony
is not going to change.
He heard what he heard.
- And he filmed what he filmed.
- Sorry?
You filmed your friend Metcalf
and his various victims having sex.
I didn't film nothing.
Your fingerprints were
all over the camera.
You might as well
have autographed it.
Unlawful surveillance is a felony.
That means prison, and we'll be
filing those charges soon.
The only question is...
will I also be filing
perjury charges?
You agreed to lie for Metcalf
because he threatened to out you
for making those
illegal sex videos, right?
But now that we know
about those videos too,
you got no reason to lie for Metcalf.
I'd err on the side
of telling the truth.
Probably gonna be better for you
in the long run.
- Maybe I misheard...
- No, no, stop talking.
If, for some reason,
my client thinks he made a mistake,
you'll take that into account
when it comes time
to plead out the illegal
surveillance charge?
_
Your Honor, the Defense no
longer plans to call Gary Bell.
In fact, we don't intend
to call any witnesses.
You're, uh, resting case
before presenting it?
Correct.
You wish to present a closing
argument, Miss Staines?
Yes, Your Honor.
Ladies and gentlemen,
my client isn't perfect.
Truth is, he's not even decent.
If he tried to date me,
I would laugh at him,
or I'd punch him in the face.
What I'm saying is,
he's disgusting, not a rapist.
Mr. Metcalf is a sad,
frustrated man
who longed for success
but never found it,
so he creates characters in his mind,
successful, respected characters,
like an actor
or an undercover detective might do,
and in the course of assuming
these alternate identities,
he meets lots of women
and sometimes has sex with them.
It's not an ethical or moral way
to conduct one's romantic life,
but it's not criminal, either.
Mr. Barba wants this court
to pass judgment
on my client for lying to women,
but as of right now, being a jackass
isn't a crime under New York law,
which means that you, the jury,
have a legal obligation
to find Tom Metcalf not guilty.
♪
A compelling closing, Miss Staines.
Thank you.
And I'm sure the jury
found it persuasive, as well.
How about you, Mr. Barba?
What was your take?
Did you find it illuminating,
per chance?
Your Honor, I stand by the evidence.
I don't care about the evidence.
I care about the law,
or the lack thereof.
You're a talented prosecutor
with a bright future,
and if I were you,
I would take Miss Staines out
for a cup of that gourmet coffee
everyone drinks nowadays
and beg her to accept the plea
to a lesser charge,
which I'm sure she'll accept,
because she's a reasonable woman
and knows that her client
is a repulsive human being.
Judges and prosecutors
are supposed to enforce the laws
that exist, not the ones
they think should exist,
and when they lose sight of that,
they run the risk of getting
their pants pulled down
in public and having their
sterling reputations sullied.
Criminal impersonation
in the second degree?
That's a misdemeanor.
It's the best I could do.
Bertuccio was prepared
to overturn the verdict.
Wait, he said that?
In so many words.
- Have you told Laura?
- No.
I called her a few times,
but I don't know where she is.
Okay, I'll find her.
Break the news to her in person.
[dramatic music]
[siren wailing]
♪
What happened?
Mr. Collett, is it Laura?
Watch him.
Excuse me.
Coming through.
Oh, no, my baby!
[sobbing]
Oh, my baby!
Oh, no!
♪
[sobbing]
♪
No!
[sobbing]
♪