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"Perverted"
SVU, Episode 11.09
Production number: 11009
First aired (US): 18 November 2009
First aired (UK): 11 December 2009
First aired (CAN): 20 November 2009
First aired (AUS): 22 April 2010
  {{{nNthProducedInSeries}}}th of 502 produced in SVU  
{{{nNthReleasedInSeries}}}th of 502 released in SVU
  {{{nNthReleasedInAll}}}th of 1271 released in all  
Detective Benson Perverted
Written By
Dawn DeNoon

Directed By
David Platt

Summary[]

While in the park, a family stumbles upon the sexually mutilated body of Clyde Vandyne, a member of a biker gang known for prostitution and contract killing. To everyone's surprise, incriminating DNA evidence points to Detective Benson as the prime suspect. Munch and Fin investigate the murder, while Stabler fights to prove his partner's innocence. The detectives must find the missing link to both Vandyne's murder and Benson's involvement.

Plot[]

Fin and Warner are called out to investigate the discovery of a dead man, a biker, tied to a tree. The man, Clyde Vandyne, had his genitals cut off, and Warner notes to Stabler that the man was tasered. Fin checks the victim's pockets and discovers one of Benson's business cards inside. Meanwhile, Benson is out sick with the flu. Stabler goes to see her about the victim, but she doesn't remember ever meeting the man, and neither does Stabler. Stabler informs Benson that he's going to take care of the case.

Fin and Munch visit the headquarters of the Death Knights, Clyde's motorcycle club. The detectives try to talk to the bikers but the club doesn't want the cops involved. When a club member shows up without the right license to operate a bike, however, the detectives force him to cooperate. They bring the biker to the precinct and make him watch surveillance footage of a gang rape of a girl (Starla) which the biker participated in. The biker denies that it was rape, saying that she consented to it. The night that Clyde was freed from Attica prison, Starla was given to him as a gift from his club. Starla eventually became Clyde's old lady. Cragen says that Starla's story better match, else the biker will be arrested for rape.

Stabler drops by Starla's home but she isn't there. Right before he leaves, however, he spots her, carrying a briefcase and dressed in a business suit. She panics at the sight of the detective and tries to run, but her suitcase flies open, and a lot of government documents tumble out. Starla claims that she didn't murder Clyde, and that the footage with her and the Death Knights wasn't gang rape. Starla has a job at the city clerk's office, but she's been pilfering blank birth certificates. She willingly admits that she wants to become a part of the Death Knights and has no shame for what she's done. She claims to not know Benson either.

Cragen discovers that a 911 call was placed concerning Clyde's bike. A dark haired woman in a black Mustang was spotted hitting the motorcycle, but the caller only remembered part of the license plate. When the numbers are run, however, Benson's name pops up as a possible owner of the vehicle. Cragen goes with Benson to examine her car. She says that she's been home sick and hasn't driven her car in almost a month. However, the damage to the car (a broken headlight and a large dent) tell a different story.

The detectives all believe that Benson didn't cause the accident, and Fin says he'll try to find the person who placed the 911 call. To stave off any suspicion, Benson asks Warner to take a swab of her DNA. Fin and Munch do find the person who made the call. Khalil has a thick accent which doesn't match the voice of the caller on the tape. He says that he let someone borrow his cell phone to call 911 about a car accident. Khalil offers the detectives a description of the man, but it's too vague to be of much use. Meanwhile, the attempt to get surveillance footage from Benson's garage hits a snag because the garage cycles through their tapes every 24 hours and that window has already passed. No one will be able to tell who took Benson's car. Benson is at the precinct, searching through her old case files to try and figure out her connection to the current case. Cragen tells her to go home and get some rest, and that Stabler will search through their cases.

As he tracks down the Death Knights, Stabler informs Kathy on his cell that he's working late. But then he spots a biker pouring beer all over his car and apprehends him. It turns out the biker is an undercover cop, Russell, who has infiltrated the gang. Russell explains that his partner is working surveillance in a nearby building and that Stabler should check things out there. Stabler is able to maintain Russell's cover by warning him, as the bikers look on. Russell's partner, Detective Lewis, has been tracking the Death Knights for the past six months. Lewis informs Stabler that Clyde seemed pretty close to all of the other gang members, and no one would have had any reason to try to kill him. Stabler brings up Benson to Lewis, and Lewis admits that he dug around once Benson's name came up, just in case she had any ties to the gang. But she's clean. Lewis also shows Stabler a photo of a man who is working on Clyde's bike, installing a GPS tracking device.

Lieutenant Tucker wakes Benson from sleep, and ends up arresting her for murder even after she vehemently denies doing the deed. At the precinct, Benson gives Tucker her story. She was home sick with the flu, but she doesn't have an alibi. Tucker thinks that the fact that no one checked in on her is suspicious. Stabler finds out from Cragen that Benson gave up her Miranda rights, which might not be the best thing, even when she's proclaiming her innocence. Stabler tells Cragen about the photo. If they find the man in that photo, that would help clear Benson's name. Cragen suggests releasing the photo to the media and let the public help find him. Meanwhile Tucker accuses Benson of being dirty, which means that her partner Stabler is probably dirty as well.

Tucker reminds Benson that she was getting psychiatric care last year and that she might have PTSD, cracked under the pressure and killed Clyde. Benson pleads for Tucker to tell her what evidence they have to link her to the crime. Tucker also says that her blood was found on the murder weapon. Benson finally realizes that she needs a lawyer. Stabler goes ballistic at Warner for tainting the evidence, but Warner is certain that Benson's DNA was on the knife that killed Clyde.

In Central Booking, Benson discovers that her attorney will be Trevor Langan, who says that her friends paid for his assignment so she can't balk at who she got as a lawyer. Members of the Death Knights are at Benson's arraignment. Her bail is set and Langan says he has to get her out of Riker's Island before any other Death Knights get a hold of her. Benson posts bail thanks to Stabler, who took a mortgage out on his house. A tip from an ex-girlfriend leads the detectives to Lawrence Grabowski, who is stuck underneath a shelf in his office. The gang might have gotten to him first. Lawrence claims that he did not do anything to Clyde and that he didn't take Benson's blood. He was only following Benson because he was hired by someone else, Brady Harrison. Harrison was convicted of a series of date rapes and was sent to prison thanks to Benson and Stabler.

Munch and Cragen finally discover the link between Harrison and Clyde. They were in Attica together, and apparently got into a fight, where Harrison was so badly beat up that he had to be taken to the infirmary. The detectives deduce Harrison killed Clyde in revenge after their release. Fin and Stabler go to Harrison's place, but they don't find him. They also find that the place has already been turned upside down, presumably by the Death Knights.

Fin and Stabler track down the gang, after getting Russell away from the gang, the latter tells Stabler that the club did go to Harrison's home, but he was already gone. Without Harrison, Benson will be the one tried for Clyde's murder.

Benson returns to her home as the detectives try to find Harrison. Harrison hired Lawrence to follow Benson into a restaurant, and Lawrence took Benson's eating utensils after she was done with them. However, Warner says that the sample she tested had Benson's blood, not her saliva. The detectives find out that there is now a way to combine blood with any DNA to create a faked DNA sample. The detectives go to talk to Dr. Joseph, who has a reputation for making these fabricated blood samples. Dr. Joseph knows Harrison and Fin tells the doctor to get in touch with him. They track down Harrison's location, and he isn't that far from Benson's apartment.

Benson hears a knock on her door and believes it is the cop watching her, before she hears her phone ring and Harrison breaks into Benson's home, grabs her and threatens her with his taser. He reveals he wants to talk, he's convinced that Benson planned for Clyde to rape him in prison because she told him "that's what happens to 'pretty boys' in there. 'You'll understand what you put those women through.'" Benson recalls her statement and apologizes but truthfully tells Harrison that she wasn't aware he was going to be sexually assaulted. Rebuffing her apology, Harrison states he is not sorry for framing her and is ready to shoot himself in the head since he's the only person who knows the entire truth. However, Benson throws a lamp at him, so he can't commit suicide. They struggle, and Olivia grabs his taser and uses it on Harrison, leaving him stunned. Then Stabler arrives and arrests him. As they take him away, Stabler tells Olivia she can meet the man who helped Harrison set her up.

Back at the precinct, Stabler and Benson speak to Dr. Joseph about the fabricated DNA. The DNA may have put a lot of innocent people in prison, as well as let a lot of true criminals go free. Now that even DNA isn't 100% rock solid proof, this changes the way the detectives go after evidence. Joseph is not remorseful and his actions and just brags it's too easy and the detectives, can't treat DNA evidence as easy anymore.

Cast[]

Main cast[]

Recurring cast[]

Guest cast[]

References[]

Quotes[]

[coming up to a crime scene where a biker is tied to a tree, pants pulled down with a bloody crotch area]
Stabler: Dispatcher's a comedian. He wrote this up as a sexually mutilated tree-hugger.
Dr. Warner: [Referring to victims genitals] Someone did some illegal pruning. Left the berries, chopped the branch clean off.
Stabler: Perp take it as a trophy?
Dr. Warner: Thought so at first, then CSU saw a squirrel run up that tree with it.
Tutuola: I always thought squirrels like nuts.

Stabler: [opens up Olivia's fridge~] You have absolutely no food in this house.
Benson: They invented this great thing, it's called delivery.
Stabler: Planning a tropical getaway? [holds up travel brochures]
Benson: A girl can dream, can't she? Stop snooping.

Death Knight: [to Munch] Listen, Skeletor, get your bony ass out of here before someone mistakes you for a pool stick.

Cragen: [to one of the Death Knights] Yeah, it's all fun and games until somebody loses a penis.

Stabler: [to the Death Knights] Don't drink and drive.

Benson: [to Tucker] You're lying. Surprisingly, you suck at it. Who told you?

[While Olivia is in the Tombs awaiting arraignment and Trevor Langan arrives]
Trevor Langan: I always thought it was your partner that I would find here.
Benson: Keep walking, Langan. Wouldn't want to keep one of your skel clients waiting.
Trevor Langan: That skel client would be you.

Langan: I don't think you appreciate the seriousness of the charges against you.
Benson: Even if I wanted your representation, trust me, I can't afford it.

Benson: [to Elliot] Does Kathy know you mortgaged the house for me?


Background information and notes[]

  • Mariska Hargitay had been battling a cold during the first few days of filming.
  • Olivia Benson's lawyer, Trevor Langan, is played by Peter Hermann, who is Mariska Hargitay's real-life husband.
  • Sturgis, South Dakota hosts a ten day motorcycle rally, usually in the first week of August, which dates back to 1938.
  • Goof: When Captain Cragen is looking at Olivia's Mustang he says it's a 65 but when the camera pans back it can be clearly seen from the side trim that it's actually a 66
  • Benson mentions she's been locked up twice while undercover:
    • She arrested while she was undercover as Persephone James in the episode "Infiltrated".
    • She went undercover in Sealview Correctional Facility in the episode "Undercover"
    • She may not have considered the time she was held in contempt in the episode "Crush" a part of this.

Episode scene cards[]

1 2 3 4 5

Death Knight's Clubhouse
54 Avenue B
Monday, November 9

Columbia University
Pupin Hall
Tuesday, November 10

Arraignment Court
Part 74
Wednesday, November 11

Office of
Lawrence Jasinski
767 Montgomery Street Jersey City, New Jersey
Thursday, November 12

RPG Research Facility
561 Amsterdam Avenue
Thursday, November 12

Previous episode:
"Turmoil"
"Perverted"
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Season 11
Next episode:
"Anchor"
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