Victor Spicer, a cab driver, is found stabbed with his genitals cut off. Detectives Benson and Stabler investigate the murder and find out he was a rapist, which causes Benson to almost cross over the line and do something to jeopardize the case and her job.
Detectives Stabler and Benson investigate the murder of Gretchen Quinn, who really isn't a real person at all. The investigation leads to her psychiatrist and a television reporter who both slept with her, which finally led back to when Gretchen changed her name and identity after she graduated high school. The detectives found out she had the identity change to escape her sexually abusive father. Captain Cragen relates to this well due to the fact he has some ghosts of his own that he must escape.
Detectives Benson and Stabler investigate the rape and beating to death of a teen model. The investigation leads to find out she was on lots of drugs, and was dumped from her photographer because she was 'too heavy'. This starts to disgust Stabler when his daughter has been refusing to eat, and thinks she might be anorexic.
Benson and Stabler investigate the murder of a young woman, presumed a prostitute, that seems to be the next in a long line of prostitute victims. But the detectives realize that her death does not fit the pattern, but the other deaths do have a connection that no one anticipated.
Benson and Stabler investigate the murder of a travel writer, tied up with woman undergarments that are cutting off his air supply, and the main suspect is the landlord's boyfriend, but clues then turn to the landlord and her daughter. And then learning that the daughter had a sexual relationship with the tenant, things get even stranger for the detectives of the SVU.
Benson and Stabler investigate the murder of a female student at a college and they turn their attention to the basketball team. The college intervenes because they do not want negative publicity that could stir up during the investigation that might hurt them from the upcoming basketball championship.
Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) have the unsavory task of investigating the sensationalized murder and sexual assault of a young boy, and their prime suspect (guest star Stephen Bogardus) is a convicted child molester whose only obsession seems to be collecting stamps. However, even with mounting evidence, one key piece doesn't fit -- but either way, the state is still prepared to cite civil detention as a test case to imprison him again as a likely repeat offender. Richard Belzer, Dann Florek, Michelle Hurd and Dean Winters also star.
When an assistant district attorney is found murdered and sexually assaulted in Central Park, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) narrow their probe to a realtor (guest star Bruce Kirkpatrick) with a history of date-rape and a need to humiliate powerful women -- and Stabler worries that a combative Benson may be his next victim. The key to the case rests with the suspect's business partner (guest star Allison Mackie) who can validate his alibi, but in the meantime, a seething Benson hopes to best him in an intense game of one-on-one in the interrogation room. Richard Belzer, Dann Florek, Dean Winters and Michelle Hurd also star.
A female financial analyst with a fetish for sexual bondage is found hanging dead, but while Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) debate if her death was a suicide or homicide, they discover that the victim recently tried to purchase $10 million of diamonds -- all of which leads to a Wall Street financier (guest star Geoffrey Nauffts) with a mean streak. During their hunt, they cross paths with a Tennessee insurance investigator (guest star Craig Heidenreich), a crooked charity organizer (guest star Christopher McCann) and other low-lifes from the sado-bondage scene. Richard Belzer, Dann Florek, Michelle Hurd and Dean Winters also star.
The devastating results of a sexual assault begin to weigh heavily on the victim (guest star Tracy Pollan, "Family Ties") after Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler's (Christopher Meloni) prime suspect (guest star Terry Serpico) -- who matches the assailant's description and is found to have used her credit card -- cannot be identified by the shaken woman. Benson finally gets a real break in the case six months later but finds the victim to be more defensive and less cooperative. In addition, Benson's romantic interlude with a fellow detective is revealed. Richard Belzer, Dann Florek, Dean Winters and Michelle Hurd also star.
Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) search for the killer of a young gay man whose father (guest star Jerry Lanning) heads a conservative watchdog group, but when they suspect a violent ex-convict (guest star Stephen Beach) who lives in the same building, they are in for a shock. In addition, Benson resents Munch's (Richard Belzer) attempts to help her find her father -- a stranger who raped her mother decades ago. Dann Florek, Michelle Hurd and Dean Winters also star.
When a multimillionaire with a sordid sex life is found bound and slain, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) try to penetrate a suspicious ring of soulless Russian immigrants whose fatalism and enigmatic cooperation leave them going in circles. As Detectives Munch (Richard Belzer) and Cassidy (Dean Winters) run down other leads, one possible culprit is Katya (Nadine Stenovich), a beautiful, cunning and likely illegal Russian who included the victim among her many boyfriends -- that is, until one of her male admirers (Olek Krupa) issues a curiously bogus confession. Dann Florek, Michelle Hurd and Chris Orbach also star.
Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) investigate the unusual circumstances behind the shooting murder of an admired judge with a reputation of protecting abused women and putting away sex offenders, but they soon learn that the victim took sordid advantage of the criminal justice system. Meanwhile, Cassidy (Dean Winters) has his own secret to hide, and yet has to endure Detective Munch's (Richard Belzer) derisive comments about his professional ability to cope with parts of his job in the special victims unit. Angie Everhart ("Dream Team") guest-stars as a lobbyist whose connections to the murdered judge come under investigation. Dann Florek and Michelle Hurd also star.
The special victims unit is on the hot seat when a five-year-old sexual assault case is reopened just days before the statute of limitations ends, so Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) scramble to interview the three distinctly different victims, but are crushed when their legal maneuver to file an arrest warrant is denied. They and other SVU detectives are even more exasperated when they learn that one of the women (guest star Jenny Bacon) admits that she knows who the assailant is -- but won't tell because he now is a member of her church. Richard Belzer, Dann Florek and Michelle Hurd also star.
The police teams from "Law & Order" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" probe the gunshot murder of a man believed to be a sexual aggressor but the evidence points to the trouble-prone daughter (guest star Noelle Beck) of a wealthy family whose protective and haughty female clan leader (Emmy and Tony Award winner Jane Alexander) could make trouble for investigators and prosecutors alike. But when another duplicate murder occurs, the cops re-think their primary suspect while Detective Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) believes they might have stumbled upon new evidence about a serial killer who eluded him five years earlier. Mariska Hargitay, Christopher Meloni, Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Michelle Hurd, Jesse L. Martin, Sam Waterston and Steven Hill also star.
Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) lead the investigation into the sexual assault and possible murder of an elderly woman, and their scanty leads point to two neighborhood toughs (Eugene Byrd and Rick Gonzalez) who will only admit that they broke into the victim's apartment as thieves. When the lack of evidence forces them to grudgingly cut a deal between the two, the detectives only then learn that their most likely suspect for the rape has been right in front of them all along. Richard Belzer, Dann Florek and Michelle Hurd also star.
When the daughter-in-law of a prominent religious educator (guest star Robert Foxworth, "Lateline") is found murdered in her hotel room, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) suspect an at-large burglar who recently has been breaking and entering several Manhattan hotel rooms. However, their attention later turns towards someone close to the pregnant victim where they learn that she was probably conducting an affair at the time of her slaying. Richard Belzer, Dann Florek and Michelle Hurd also star. Angie Harmon (NBC's "Law & Order") guest-stars as A.D.A. Abbie Carmichael.
When a 16-year-old girl (guest star Paz De La Huerta) claims that she was sexually assaulted by a man, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) delve into the nether world of Internet porn in search of the suspect known as "The Yachtsman" (guest star Reed Birney) but they soon discover how difficult it is to prosecute cyberspace pedophiles. However, while investigating an illicit online service, the cops seize upon an opportunity to coax a sex offender into setting up a sting operation designed to lure in more deviants. Richard Belzer, Dann Florek and Michelle Hurd also star.
Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) wonder where to start their investigation of a series of anonymous sexual attacks on helpless women (one is played by Nicole Sullivan, "Mad TV") who are trapped standing in crowds on subway cars at rush hour, but when one suspect (guest star Bruce Bohne, "Fargo") finally is arrested, none of the victims can identify him. The cops try a new ploy by arranging an interview between their new police psychologist (Tony-winning guest star Audra McDonald, "Ragtime") and their prime suspect. Meanwhile, a tentative Benson begins dating a crime reporter (guest star Tom McCarthy). New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman makes a cameo appearance.
Detective Munch (Richard Belzer) forms an unlikely close bond with a television news reporter (guest star Jennifer Esposito, "Spin City" ) who was sexually assaulted by two men months earlier but it's Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) who stumble into making the first arrest (guest star Jason Field) as the cops try to use their prime suspect as a link to his accomplice. However, their case is jeopardized -- and the list of assailants widens -- when a bomb blast eliminates a vital link to their prosecution and ongoing investigation. Dann Florek and Michelle Hurd also star.
A sharp-eyed photo developer puts Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) on the tail of a seemingly harmless piano instructor (guest star Kent Broadhurst) who molests his students -- all boys -- but their prime witness is an unstable young man (guest star Wilson Jermaine Heredia) who recoils when he sees the suspect's videotape of his shame from years before. Even more disturbing for the detectives are more scenes from other tapes that could compromise their case and cause more heartache. Richard Belzer, Dann Florek and Michelle Hurd also star.
In the season finale, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) check out a witness' report of a desperate woman's (guest star Layla Alexander) cry for help, and after a related murder, their investigation points to a controlling attorney (guest star Andrew McCarthy, "Weekend at Bernie's") suspected of making a female sex slave out of a newly arrived Romanian immigrant woman. Back in the squad room, the detectives of the special victims unit squirm a bit when they are assigned to be interviewed by a police psychologist (guest star and Tony winner Audra McDonald, "Ragtime") who targets their insecurities and holds the key to their job security. Richard Belzer, Dann Florek and Michelle Hurd also star.
In a continuation of the internal investigation into the psyches of the Special Victims Unit staff, the focus turns to two detectives -- one who wants to seduce and one who wants to destroy some of the shady characters they encounter on the job. Meanwhile, Detective Stabler's (Christopher Meloni) home and work lives blur horrifically when his daughter Maureen (Erin Broderick) witnesses a gory crime scene as she accompanies her father in discovering the burning dead body of an analyst for a major defense contractor. While ambitious new Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March) pursues the uncooperative employers of the victim, and his missing ward, with equal fervor, Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola (Ice-t) transfers to the Special Victims Unit from Narcotics to join in the investigation. Mariska Hargitay, Dann Florek, Richard Belzer and Michelle Hurd also star.
When the daughter of an Afghan diplomat is found brutally beaten with evidence of sexual assault, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) find that her family had already disowned her for attempting to assimilate into Western society. As the detectives learn of the ancient practice of "honor killing," they wonder if the politically charged family could be motivated enough to end their defiant daughter's life. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Michelle Hurd and Stephanie March also star.
When Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) learn of a rape with a familiar M.O., they are convinced that Kenneth Cleary (guest star Neil Maffin), the unconvicted rape suspect from the Harper Anderson case, is back in action. As they investigate, the detectives find that Anderson (Emmy-nominated guest star Tracy Pollan) has been doing some sleuthing of her own and is more determined than ever to bring her assailant to justice, with or without the aid of the Special Victims Unit. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T and Stephanie March also star.
As mother blames father and father blames step-father for the abuse of a seven-year-old girl, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) have to consider that any member of her embattled extended family -- including her step-brother, mother, and grandmother -- could be responsible for the child's comatose condition, even as they each claim to have been trying to protect her from each other. Detective Munch (Richard Belzer) takes a special interest in the case, as he recalls another child betrayed by those closest to her. Dann Florek, Ice-T and Stephanie March also star.
Racial tensions mount when a Hispanic seven-year-old boy shoots to death a young African-American schoolmate and while the frightened child is kept in custody as a flight risk, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) discover a new twist in their investigation -- the murder weapon was previously used for an unsolved slaying. However, after a suspect in the first murder is killed, the investigators finally gain a foothold in the case when they learn the truth behind the boy's suspicious sketches of a violent shooting. Richard Belzer, Dann Florek, Ice-T and Stephanie March also star.
When a female psychiatric doctoral student is found raped and murdered and an unidentified man stabbed in a neighborhood market, several of her counseling patients are pursued as suspects. One patient had been stalking the murder victim, and another had her support in refusing to take medications that caused severe side effects. Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) and Detectives Munch (Richard Belzer) and Tutuola (Ice-T) offer varying opinions regarding mandating medication as they follow all leads and discover that the stabbing victim (guest star Danny Mastogiorio) may not be revealing everything he witnessed at the crime scene. Dann Florek and Stephanie March also star.
When Detectives Benson and Stabler (Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni) are called to a domestic violence scene, they are surprised to find that the accused is a fellow police officer (guest star Nestor Serrano), whose wife (guest star Amy Carlson, "Falcone," "Another World") is charging him with rape. But the wife's motives are questioned as her history of violence toward her husband is brought to light. Meanwhile, Detective Jefferies (Michelle Hurd), still undergoing psychiatric evaluation from the Morris Commission, ponders her future with the Special Victims Unit. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T and Stephanie March also star.
When a 17-year-old woman (guest star Jenna Miller) is raped during the gala opening of a high profile hotel, her brother and sister-in-law are eager to help the hoteliers keep the scandal hush-hush as they prepare to sue them for millions. Though a former sex offender is arrested for the crime, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) continue to dig into the backgrounds of the strange family and their convenient witness. Meanwhile, Benson must deal with some upsetting news about her mother. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T, and Stephanie March also star.
When a young gymnast is found dead, her world-renowned coach (guest star Philip Casnoff, "Sinatra") becomes a prime suspect as the rigorous demands he makes of his students are discovered. Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) soon find that the girls also vie for the attention of a wealthy benefactor (guest star Armand Schultz) whose interest in the young athletes does not appear to be purely philanthropic. But it may be that the girls themselves are their own harshest enemies as they push themselves to the physical and mental limits of training and competition. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T, and Stephanie March also star.
When a college student, Kelly D'Leah (guest star Tammy Blanchard), is found on campus unconscious, with evidence of sexual assault and no memory of the night before, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) must determine what events led to the young woman's apparent rape. Lab results indicating that, along with alcohol, the drug GHB (which reduces inhibitions and erases memory) was in her system point the investigation toward Kelly's drinking companions from the prior night--two frat boys who may have been pursuing her attention and two sorority sisters who paint Kelly to be the campus flirt. As the college administration steps in to keep the matter under their jurisdiction, the detectives find that this is not the first time they have attempted to protect their students, not from attacks, but from criminal prosecution. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T and Stephanie March also star.
After the son of two popular singers dies by running into oncoming traffic, his mother Ricki Austin (guest star Christine Andreas) claims that her son was fleeing from a child molester. But when forensics uncovers signs of emotional and not physical trauma in the boy, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) suspect that the hands-off approach to parenting employed by the two touring pop stars may have taken a fatal toll on their son, and may be responsible for their daughter Ashley's (guest star Hayden Panettiere) escalating self-destructive behavior as well. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T, and Stephanie March also star.
When a highly respected teacher is found raped and murdered, her high school students and fellow teachers mourn the loss of a gifted educator. But when Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) find a nude picture of the woman in one of her student's homes, they have to question just what types of knowledge she was imparting to her students. As more is learned of the victim's voracious appetite for sex, the more difficulty A.D.A. Cabot (Stephanie March) has in gaining an indictment against a man who was just one of many of the dead woman's sexual partners. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, and Ice-T also star.
When former sex-crimes cop-turned-community activist Sam Winfield (guest star Eric Roberts, Oscar nominee for "Runaway Train") becomes a suspect in the murders of recently paroled rapists whom he has warned neighborhoods about, Detective Stabler (Christopher Meloni) is torn between upholding the law and identifying with Winfield's intent to protect the innocent from known sex offenders. As more is learned about the murder victims, it is discovered that the dead men have other dangerous details in common in addition to their criminal pasts which may have provided motive for their murders--and which may have horrifying implications for someone involved in the investigation. Mariska Hargitay, Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T and Stephanie March also star.
When veteran police sergeant Karen Smythe (guest star Khandi Alexander, NBC's "ER," "The Corner") is raped while responding to a crime in progress, Detective Benson (Mariska Hargitay) is quick to come to the aid of the woman who was her mentor during her rookie days in the Special Victims Unit. Benson and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) find that Smythe's ex-husband's gambling debts may have been the motive for her assault, though the growing interest of the Internal Affairs Bureau casts suspicion on all of the officers connected to Smythe. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T and Stephanie March also star.
When a 7-year-old girl escapes her kidnapper and rapist, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) begin an ardent search for the suspect. But when another girl is abducted under similar circumstances, the details of the two kidnappings indicate that both are the work of a serial rapist-murderer who kills his victims on the third day of their captivity. So begins a race against the clock as the Special Victims Unit has just 72 hours to rescue the latest victim from certain death. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T and Stephanie March also star.
A Brooklyn police officer holds hostage an internet reporter (guest star Sean Nelson), who may have information regarding the whereabouts of his runaway daughter Jill (guest star Kelly Kerbacz). Though the officer is arrested for the siege, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) pledge to take over his search. As they explore the website that had posted a recent picture of Jill, they are led to an underground "rave" culture that caters to teen runaways--and exploits their youth and desperation. Darrell Hammond guest-stars as a lawyer whose clients include a drug dealer and a bizarre gallery owner who both seem to have connections to the missing girl. Richard Belzer, Stephanie March, Ice-T, and Michelle Hurd also star.
When a young man, Tommy Dowd (guest star Eddie Cahill, "Friends," "Felicity"), is beaten during a rendezvous with an older woman at a hotel, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) soon find that this incident is just one of a string of such beatings, some of them fatal. All of the victims are discovered to be male escorts whose employer Leslie DeSantis (guest star Patricia Kalember "Sisters," "thirtysomething") comes under scrutiny for sending her staff on dates with potential murderers--and may herself have reason to want some of the escorts dead. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T and Stephanie March also star.
When a young woman, Annie Tassler (guest star Meg Hartig), is abducted, Detective Munch (Richard Belzer) finds the details of the crime to be similar to those of a series of brutal rapes and murders he unsuccessfully investigated the previous year. He and Detective Tutuola (Ice-T) are tipped off by two witnesses to the kidnapping, and are led upstate in hopes of rescuing Annie before the Bowery Stalker adds to his list of murder victims. A.D.A. Cabot (Stephanie March) is eager to help bring the killer into custody so that she may pursue a harsh conviction. Christopher Meloni, Mariska Hargitay and Dann Florek also star.
When the remains of a young woman are found buried in an apartment courtyard with a collar and leash, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) determine that the dead woman is Ava Parulis, a Romanian immigrant who was brought to the United States for an arranged marriage. They discover from Ava's estranged twin, Irina (guest star Mili Avital, "Arabian Nights"), that the dead woman had left her abusive husband, and made a habit of taking advantage of the riches of wealthy suitors. But when it becomes apparent that Ava may be impersonating Irina, the twins' relationships with the matchmaker who brought them to the United States (guest star Michelle Pawk), as well as with a Romanian diplomat (guest star Victor Steinbach), and the former abusive husband, may lead to the truth behind the identity crisis and the motive for murder. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T and Stephanie March also star.
When the head of personnel at a software company is found raped and stabbed to death, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) suspect that a fired employee may have sought a violent revenge. With the aid of FBI psychiatrist George Huang (guest star B. D. Wong, "Oz"), they focus on Jason Mayberry (guest star Chad Lowe, "Melrose Place," "Life Goes On") a former security guard at the company and son of the wealthy Grace Mayberry (guest star Margot Kidder, "Superman"). Jason's shy yet cunning personality and bizarre obsessions may reveal a horrifying motive for the murder. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T and Stephanie March also star.
When a serial killer commits four brutal murders in 24 hours, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay), Munch (Richard Belzer) and Fin (Ice-T) canvass the streets searching for signs of a madman who exclaims paranoid and twisted religious rhetoric while committing his crimes. Once suspect Daniel Varney (guest star Richard Thomas, "Wonder Boys," "The Waltons") is in custody, Benson wades through his "religious" justifications with the help of his distraught wife (guest star Karen Allen, "Raiders of the Lost Ark,"), who provides key information with profound implications for A.D.A. Cabot's (Stephanie March) case. Meanwhile, Stabler's (Christopher Meloni) efforts to coordinate the case, and Benson's deft questioning of Varney, do not go unnoticed by Captain Cragen (Dann Florek).
When 18-year-old Meghan Ramsey (guest star Kelly Hutchinson) is aided by her therapist (guest star Shirley Knight, "NYPD Blue") in recalling childhood molestation by her father (guest star Brian Kerwin), she reports the incest to Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) in hopes of sparing her younger sisters the same fate. Though initially her mother (guest star Amy Irving, "Crossing Delancey") does not believe her, eventually the entire family turns on the accused man despite his protests and the discovery of tainted evidence. But when his punishment is exacted outside of the legal system, everyone in the fragile family becomes a suspect. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T and Stephanie March also star.
When three unrelated people connected to cases that were handled by Detective Benson (Mariska Hargitay) are found ritualistically murdered, all the evidence points to Benson as the true target of the violence. As she struggles with guilt over the murders, Benson continues to pursue the assailant despite warnings from the FBI that she may be in danger. The detectives interview a seemingly endless list of suspects who have reason to hold a grudge against Benson -- until they find an innocent man who may hold the key to the horrific vendetta. Christopher Meloni, Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T and Stephanie March also star.
When a baby is stolen from her mother in a grocery store, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) soon discover that the kidnapping is only the tip of the iceberg in a baby snatching and selling scheme. The detectives are led to private adoption lawyer Mark Sanford (guest star Bruce Altman, "Nothing Sacred") who had brokered an adoption over ten years ago of a child kidnapped from his mother who was murdered. Captain Cragen (Dann Florek) renews his pursuit of the case, opening old wounds with the parents of the murdered woman (Celia Weston, "The Talented Mr. Ripley," and John Seitz), and creating new wounds with the adoptive family and biological father of the long-ago stolen child. Cragen and A.D.A. Cabot (Stephanie March) struggle to serve the best interests of the child while seeking justice in a complex case.
When a series of increasingly violent rapes occurs in an African-American community, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) are quick to suspect a known sex-offender recently released from prison. But as their leads grow cold, the case becomes personal for Detective Tutuola (Ice-T) when the daughter of friends he grew up with becomes a fatal victim, and her distraught brother Rodney Thompson (guest star Todd Williams) accuses the squad of putting insufficient resources into tracking the killer. As the detectives search for clues, a fifth victim is murdered and her final moments--along with Thompson's persistence--may provide the evidence needed to solve the case. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, and Stephanie March also star.
When a prominent doctor is murdered and his wife (guest star Lisa Eichhorn) is raped, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) look to the dead man's estranged and troubled son from a previous marriage and a disgruntled former patient as likely suspects. But when the same rapist attacks the dead doctor's former mistress (guest star Liza Weil), a complicated series of relationships and events begins to unfold, as both the wife and mistress face unexpected scrutiny. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T and Stephanie March also star.
Detective Stabler (Christopher Meloni) finds himself paired with a brusque and opinionated cop, John "Hawk" Hawkins (guest star David Keith, "An Officer and a Gentleman"), who has become embittered with his job and personal life. The two work to capture a serial rapist/murderer whom Hawk originally nabbed years ago, but the more they learn about the new crimes he's suspected of, the more apparent it becomes that the recently released convict is not the culprit -- leading Hawk to realize that he may have convicted the wrong man. Mariska Hargitay, Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T and Stephanie March also star.
When an unidentified man is found shot and sexually abused in the alley outside of a gay bar, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) search for possible motives and suspects, tracing the victim's (guest star Mark-Paul Gosselaar, "NYPD Blue") history back to a small town in Arkansas. However, when their investigation leads the detectives deep inside the porn industry, they realize it is not a clear-cut case of rape and attempted murder. The lead witness in the case (guest star Kevin Geer), a recovering junkie, strikes a nerve with Fin (Ice-T) who is forced to define his role on the squad. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer and Stephanie March also star.
The vicious beating and rape of a young Asian woman at a burglary site leads Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) to suspect members of two rival Asian gangs caught in the middle of a sibling dispute over the girlÓs loyalties. However, the discovery of a second Asian victim reveals the horrifying reality behind this case and the origin of a meticulous serial rapist--whose own father may have a similar guilty past. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T and Stephanie March also star.
When the battered body of a murdered 5-year-old girl in foster care is discovered, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) must explore a complex array of family connections in their search for a motive and murderer. The child's biological mother (guest star Erika Lavonne) had been frantically trying to regain custody of all her daughters from the foster mother (guest star Kathleen Wilhoite, NBC's "ER") and grandmother (guest star Piper Laurie, "Carrie," "Twin Peaks") responsible for the child at the time of her death. As the focus of the investigation turns to the girl's socially withdrawn foster brother, Captain Cragen (Dann Florek) attempts to reach the 14-year-old with the help of some video game camaraderie. Richard Belzer, Ice-T and Stephanie March also star.
When a young wife is found dead after what appears to have been an auto-erotic encounter, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) find that the deceased and a group of her girlfriends had recently been accused of raping a male stripper (guest star Pete Starrett). A.D.A. Cabot (Stephanie March) prosecutes the sexual assault case to prove the new standard holding women accountable for sexual attacks on men, though one of the accused (guest star Paige Turco, "The Agency") is subject to further scrutiny when it is determined that her friend's apparent suicide was in fact murder. Richard Belzer, Dan Florek and Ice-T also star.
When a pregnant woman's unborn child is ripped from her abdomen in an horrific attack, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) go on a frantic search for the child, in the hopes that it could have survived. The woman's husband (guest star John Ritter, "Three's Company," "Sling Blade") appears traumatized by the attack which upsets his orderly lifestyle. But when it is discovered that his wife may have been having an affair with a construction worker (guest star Bobby Cannavale, "100 Centre Street," "Third Watch") both men come under suspicion for an act of unconscionable jealousy and rage. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T, and Stephanie March also star.
When a 6-year-old boy with a troubled past is shot and abandoned in an emergency room by his frantic mother (guest star Elpidia Carrillo), Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) attempt to track down the child's missing family in hope of finding the shooter. However, when the boy is the victim of another attack, the desperate search for the mother intensifies before she too falls prey to a dangerous man close to her shattered family. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T and Stephanie March also star.
The discovery of a man and woman stabbed during a seemingly romantic park rendezvous leaves Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) with the gruesome job of identifying the victims -- a difficult task as the woman's head and hands are missing. However, when further analysis of the park reveals that the crime scene was staged, the detectives focus their investigation on the female victim and her career as a Manhattan Federation for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals officer, which leads them to a variety of associates on both sides of the animal rights issue. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T and Stephanie March also star.
The discovery of a raped and murdered woman near her car forces Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and "Fin" (Ice-T) to become partners to determine both the motive for the crime -- and why the victim was in possession of a trunk full of counterfeit narcotics. When a similar crime is committed, the second rape victim, Francesca Jesner (guest star Khrystyne Haje, "Head of the Class") alleges that the assailant was a police officer who used a routine traffic stop to capture her. As the detectives close in on one suspicious police officer (guest star Michael O'Keefe "Roseanne"), the case takes on an added sense of urgency when Jesner is again held captive by her tormentor. Christopher Meloni, Richard Belzer, Dann Florek and Stephanie March also star.
As serial killer Matthew Brodus (guest star Nick Chinlund) awaits his imminent execution in three days, Detective Stabler (Christopher Meloni) races against time to determine if the convicted man also murdered and raped another victim whose assailant was never identified -- thus giving the slain woman's parents (guest stars William Hill and Laura Hughes) a measure of closure. But Stabler, his former partner and a sympathetic Dr. Huang (B.D. Wong) have just 72 hours to prove once and for all that Brodus was also responsible for the tragedy that overcame the victim's family. Mariska Hargitay, Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T and Stephanie March also star.
Detective Stabler (Christopher Meloni) learns from his wife (guest star Isabel Gillies) that her friend (guest star Laura Duncan), a nurse at a local hospital, treated a young rape victim who refused to report the crime to the authorities or her family. Though ethically bound to keep his wife's confidence and to honor the girl's wishes, Stabler enlists the aid of Det. Benson (Mariska Hargitay) to find out the identity of the young woman and to convince her to come forward. But once they locate the young woman, 14-year-old Cynthia (guest star Brittany Slattery), they uncover a disturbing web of sexual activity among her classmates revolving around drugs and alcohol causing concern within the Stabler household about their own teen daughter. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T and Stephanie March also star.
The brutal attack of a young cellist, Cassie Germaine (guest star Emily Deschanel) in her apartment leads Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) to investigate her orchestra conductor Robert Prescott (guest star Michael Nader, "All My Children"). The relationship between the two, coupled with Prescott's penchant for amateur erotic filmmaking, causes suspicion when a scan of the victim's apartment reveals a series of hidden cameras recording her every move. But the detectives soon realize that the invasion of Germaine's home is the work of a dedicated stalker determined to spend his life watching the object of his desire. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T and Stephanie March also star.
When ADA Cabot (Stephanie March) is faced with a reluctant witness (guest star Bret Harrison) in a child molestation case, she goes above and beyond the normal scope of duty in her search for evidence to convict the serial abuser (guest star Beau Gravitte). But her passion supercedes her compliance with the law as she misrepresents herself to Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) to bring them into an illegal search of the traumatized boy's home -- jeopardizing not only her case, but the careers of all involved. SVU Bureau Chief Elizabeth Donnelly (guest star Judith Light "Who's the Boss") is faced with the frustrating task of bringing Cabot in line to preserve the integrity of the Special Victims Unit. Kay Lenz ("Rich Man, Poor Man") guest stars as Linda Cavanaugh, the mother of the young victim. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, and Ice-T also star.
Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) investigate the rape and murder of the stepdaughter of a judge (guest star Keir Dullea, "2001: A Space Odyssey") known for his harsh sentencing of sex-offenders. But the young woman's troubled past reveals shocking relationships both with the felons who appeared in her step-father's court and within her own family, leading the detectives to suspect those closest to their victim. Judith Light guest-stars as SVU Bureau Chief Elizabeth Donnelly; Valerie Mahaffey ("Northern Exposure") guest-stars as the victim's mother. Stephanie March, Dann Florek and Ice-T also star.
When the wife (guest star Mary Beth Hurt, "The World According to Garp") of an entrepreneur (guest star Henry Winkler, "Happy Days") is found bludgeoned and brutally raped on her kitchen floor, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) believe the attack to be the work of a possible serial rapist. But as the investigation of another attack believed to have been committed by the same man begins to reveal some oddities, attention is re-focused on both sets of grief-stricken husbands and recovering wives, who may or not be who they claim to be. Dann Florek, Ice-T, and Stephanie March also star.
The sexual assault of a heroin addict (guest star Martha Plimpton, "Beautiful Girls") leads Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) to the gruesome discovery of a decomposing baby's finger in the victim's purse. As they search for both the rapist and the identity of the baby, the detectives find that their assault victim might be withholding information to protect her icy mother (Oscar-winning guest star Mary Steenburgen, "I Am Sam") or her protective grandmother (Oscar-winning guest star Estelle Parsons, "Roseanne"). The case resonates with former narcotics detective Tutuola (Ice-T), who tries to help the young woman get clean. Emmy winner Judith Light also guest-stars as the SVU bureau chief. Dann Florek and Stephanie March also star.
When Rebecca Tolliver (guest star Lois Smith, "All My Children") reports that her daughter Katie (guest star Andrea Fay Friedman, "Life Goes On"), a 22-year-old woman with Down Syndrome, has been raped and as a result is now pregnant, Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) face the delicate task of determining if Katie was indeed sexually assaulted--or if her over-protective mother is in denial that her daughter has chosen to consummate her relationship with her boyfriend (guest star Badge Dale). In the course of the investigation, the detectives make the disturbing discovery that in fact more than one man had the opportunity to abuse Katie, and that her naivete about sex may have put her at a heightened risk for such an attack. The case is further complicated when Katie and her mother disagree as to her ability to keep her child, forcing A.D.A. Cabot (Stephanie March) to take sides and take on her superior (guest star Judith Light). Richard Belzer, Dann Florek, Ice-T, and also star.
When Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) are called to the scene of a murder in a church, they find that Bobby Douglas (guest star Sean Dugan), the young man responsible for the crime, had been receiving payoffs from the church to cover up his sexual abuse by a priest. Bobby is still in contact with one priest from his youth, Father Michael (guest star Eric Stoltz "Mask"), who is accused of child molestation by Bobby as he attempts to place the blame of his crime on the church that took advantage of his innocence. Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Ice-T, and Stephanie March also star.
Two kids blame eachother for the death and rape of a marijuna-growing drug dealer.
A boy is accused of being molested after his soccer game, but he doesn't admit to it. His pricipal, and his soccer coach are the prime suspects.
After the death of a little boy is discovered, Benson and Stabler believe it was a former child rapist. When they find out it was the little boy next door, Dr. Morton doesn't want him prosecuted as an adult. What he does not know is the boy played him, and when he figures out, Dr. Morton kills him, and then is on trial himself for murdering his neighbor.
Abraham Ofinian/Eugene Hoff is a con artist and pedophile using religion as a front to scam innocent victims among his followers. He has fathered an unborn child with twelve year old Melanie in order to steal her inheritance and is on the run with her from the authorities. He is also wanted in connection with the murder of a number of children from his religious flock. It is up to Detective Olivia Benson and the rest of the Special Victim's Unit to bring in Ofinian/Hoff before more tragedy happens.
Two twins are suspects in a crime. One of the twin is more than meets the eye.
After receiving a tip from a retired svu detective, Detective Elliot Stabler goes undercover as a pedophile to try to catch who he thinks has committed a crime. How far will Stabler go to get a confession from this man?
Benson gets to April Troost before she commits suicide, but when she dies during the trial against the man that rapped her, Benson feels somewhat responsible. But when the detectives learn that April had picked up more men than just Barclay Pallister, all of which don't remember sleeping with her, they discover that April wasn't the victim.