27x02 - A Waiver of Consent

[bunniefuu]

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.

Morning, Cap.

Well, if that is an apology for not

telling me that Fin lost his g*n,
honestly, I don't hate it.

Hand it over.

I was trying to do the right thing.

I know it was a stupid decision,

but I swear it'll never happen again.

Fin knows that he
put you in a bad spot,

and honestly, um, I don't know that

I would have done anything different

if I was in your position.

So we're good.

Is there something else?

DEA wants you undercover
guarding Ramirez's drug runs.

I mean, I get it.

It makes sense with all your
experience with the cartels.

Do you trust the agents?

They seemed straight up, but

they were real clear about
keeping this whole thing

under wraps, even from you.

I know I'm putting
you in a bad position,

and if you want to
report it up, I understand.

- But I just had to ask...
- No, no, no, no, Velasco.

This stays between us.

But, you gotta keep me informed,

and you gotta be careful.

Thank you.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

[GROANING, PANTING]

[DISTORTED HORNS HONKING]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

[PANTING]

Million dollars into NYU
for you to write plays.

You're gonna go work with
your father on Wall Street.

Excuse me.

Um, something really bad has happened.

Okay. Are you okay?

- I'm sorry. I need help.
- Yes, of course.

I don't know where...
something bad has happened.

- Tyler, call 911!
- Something...

Okay, I'm here. You're safe.

You're fine.
You're fine. I got you.

Uh, yeah, we're on,
uh, the corner of, uh...

[PANTING]

♪ ♪

So Chief Tynan and my
father were partners,

back when they were
on patrol in the 2-7,

and when he passed, the chief
kind of took me

- under her wing.
- Oh.

That must be nice having somebody,

you know, look out for you like that.

Yeah, I agree.
Although I...

You know, I know how my new assignment

might look to you.

Well, how do you think it might look?

Like I'm some sort of spy.

Well, what would you
be hoping to uncover

in your role as a spy?

I have no idea, because I'm not a spy.

That's not what the
chief's asked me to do.

What has she asked you to do?

To learn how to
become a good detective.

Okay, well, I know that,
uh, you led Midtown South

in robbery collars for
three years running.

Why not Central Robbery?

Because the chief says you are

the best boss in the department.

- [SCOFFS]
- Like you said, she looks out for me.

Well, look, Griffin, I appreciate,

uh, you playing your cards up.
I really do.

But here, we're very victim-centric,

and our victims are
extremely vulnerable.

We... we work as one team here.

I don't...

I don't have any room
for detectives who, you know,

have different agendas.

I can promise you the only
agenda I have is to learn.

That's it.
You are the boss.

- [PHONE BUZZES]
- Yeah, I...

I'm just really
grateful for this amazing

- opportunity to be here.
- One sec. Benson.

Okay, is she conscious?

Yeah, I'm on my way.

Okay, Griff...

The education starts now.

You ride with me.

Okay.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

♪ ♪

The club, uh, it was all night.

I...

- And then it was day.
- Okay.

- And, um...
- It's okay.

I'm sorry.
Just, something really bad happened.

No, no, it's okay, Maya.

You just need to rest now, okay?

We can talk...
We can talk later.

Okay.

Doctor, any idea when
she'll be more coherent?

[EXHALES] She tested
positive for the alphabet...

GHB, MDMA, LSD.

- It's gonna be a bit.
- Okay.

And did she say anything to
any of your staff that might help?

You know, maybe, like,
the name of the club?

[SIGHS] Just kept repeating
something bad happened.

Her dress was torn,
so we did a r*pe kit.

Bruising consistent
with sexual as*ault.

- We sent the dress out too.
- Smart.

Okay, um, just let me know
when she's lucid, okay?

- Yeah.
- All right.

Detective, do you
have anything to add?

I'm good, Cap.
Let's roll.

Thank you.

I heard about this guy.
They call him Batman.

His last tour was three years
in Midtown South anti-crime.

Which is exactly what we need.

Another guy who
thinks he's a superhero.

I think it was the perps
who called him that.

Well, he's got some powerful
friends, so watch yourself.

Okay, guys.
So...

Say hello to Jake Griffin.

He is newly assigned.

What's up, Batman?

- [CHUCKLES]
- I'm sorry, Batman?

It's a stupid nickname
the mopes in Times Square

- used to call me.
- Where's Robin?

He doesn't need a Robin.

He's got a chief of
Ds watching his back.

All right, all right.

Look, guys, we all have
our unique stories of origin.

So let's get to work.
Griff, run it down.

Uh, yeah, okay.

So, victim is Maya Moretti, 35.

She's a senior VP at Oakville
Wealth Fund downtown.

She's currently pretty incoherent.

The r*pe kit had, uh...

Had some bruising.

- Uh, and, uh...
- Crime scene?

Uh, at this point we don't have one,

but once she's back with
us we need to drill down.

Now, in the meantime, I need you

to find every single club in
the vicinity of 41st and 8th.

There's gotta be about


Oh, you don't...

You don't have to raise your hand.

Okay, sorry.

Um, when we were in her room, I saw

Maya had a tattoo on her wrist,
but it was more than a symbol.

It was a QR code.

Like she was branded?

Maybe like a permanent stamp?

Did you...
Did you scan it?

Yeah, yeah. Can I use
this? I'm gonna use this.

Um, it takes you to a website

for a members-only club
on 41st called Sensate.

I know that place.

When I was at IAB, some
bozos were working off-duty there.

Cops pretending to be
bouncers at a wellness club?

Well, we thought it was a
front for a high-end sex club.

Gotta belong to the
club to get the tat,

meaning Maya Moretti is a member.

So what happened to the investigation?

Well, that's just it.

IAB opened the investigation,

but 1PP shut it down hard.

And when my boss pushed
back, he found himself

transferred to Staten Island.

Well, 1PP can send
me anywhere they want,

but, no one will be shutting us down.

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Maya is trying to check
herself out of the hospital.

Griff, you're with me.

You should have told
me about Maya's tattoo.

I'm sorry, I just wanted to
make sure it meant something

- before I said anything.
- I get it,

but this is what I
was talking about when I said

that we work as one team, okay?

Cowboy tactics don't work for me.

Be transparent.

Understood, Captain.

I'm sorry.
Thank you.

[ELEVATOR DINGS]

I told you, I want to get out of here.

Okay, I understand.

So how about we...

We talk back at my office, all right?

- I don't want to talk.
- Okay.

Maya, you're not in any trouble,

and I don't care about drug use.

The only thing that I care about

is understanding what happened.

- Where are my shoes?
- Okay.

- Okay.
- Excuse me.

Give me one second.

Just give me one second.

Listen, is there somebody
that I can call for you?

Maybe they can bring
you a change of clothes.

Maybe something a little
more comfortable than that.

I don't need to talk to anyone.

Okay.

I can help you.
I can help you.

Really, I can.

[TENSE MUSIC]

You wouldn't understand.

I would, and I do.

I do.

Nothing happened.

That's not what you said before.

Get out of my way, please.

Detective, step aside, please.

You're free to leave.

I'm sorry, okay?
I thought...

- I thought that you'd want...
- She's a victim,

and she needs space,

- and we honor that here.
- Yeah, I get that.

Aside from processing the as*ault,

she's also processing shame...

a misplaced shame, the kind of shame

that makes you want to
leave the hospital too early

and lie about what happened.

Okay?
So my job,

and your job now,
is to figure it out anyway.

Okay, Detective?

Let's roll.

Okay.

I'll do better.

Welcome to Sensate.

Owner is Derek Simpson.

He's got a long list of failed clubs

going back more than a decade.

This is the first one
that's turned any profit.

No one would ever make
this place out for a sex club.

That's the point.

So how you want to play this?

Well, first thing we
need to figure out

is if this is even our crime scene.

And I want to see
who we're dealing with.

[DOOR BUZZES]

- Can I help you?
- Hi.

Captain Curry and Detective
Velasco, Special Victims.

We're looking for a Derek Simpson.

I can come back with some friends,

but I don't want to
mess up your nice door.

[DOOR BUZZES]

If someone was assaulted,
that's news to me.

What can I do to help?

Do you have any cameras
in here, Mr. Simpson?

We'd like to review the footage.

No, never.

It's a unique feature of my club.

I don't surveil the members.

What about a list of people
who were here last night?

I'm sorry.
We don't keep any list.

Volcanic water?

[SOFT PERCUSSIVE MUSIC PLAYING]

We're good.

We'd like to start with a
list of the members, then.

I don't mean to seem
intransigent, Detective,

but this is a private club.

We don't disclose our membership.

We're investigating a sexual as*ault.

I absolutely understand that.

And I can assure
you, if that happened,

I would know about it immediately.

I'm not assured.

Look, we're all adults here.

You know the nature of this
organization, what we provide.

Our members enjoy the
freedom to express themselves,

and they pay a premium for privacy.

Give us a list of who
was here last night,

and maybe we can keep things discreet.

I'd like to speak to my
lawyer before this continues.

You need a lawyer to cooperate

with a sex crimes investigation?

I need a lawyer because
I don't like the way

this conversation is going.

I'll have to ask you to leave.

Okay.

That's your right, Mr. Simpson.

But, I got a feeling we'll be back.

Sex clubs like Sensate
have been popping up

all over Manhattan and Brooklyn,

all word-of-mouth.
Someone has to vouch for you to join.

Members are rich power players

who are sick of dating sites and bars

and want to cut straight to
the chase, anonymous sex.

For a $50,000 membership fee.

So if it's a sex club, why not just

bust them for prostitution?

Well, strangers having consensual

anonymous sex isn't ill*gal.

The problem is that these places

are usually fronts
for drug trafficking

- and money laundering.
- And it's also

a breeding
ground for sexual as*ault.

This is our uncooperative
subject, Derek Simpson.

That's Councilman Mills.

And this is Assemblyman Rixton.

Wait a minute, is this not,
is that...

Superintendent Flynn?

- This is not good.
- The guy's connected.

Connected enough to get the initial

IAB investigation shut down.

Should we get a warrant?
Or is that gonna tip him off?

- I wouldn't.
- Which means that we need

to get in another way.

Let's get in there and look around.

Undercover?
Looking for what?

A crime scene.
A witness.

Another victim.

Dude, if you raise your
hand one more time,

- I'm gonna sh**t it off.
- Okay, sorry.

I think I have a way in.

I have an informant in Times
Square right near the club.

What kind of informant?

Oh, he's into everything.

He scams tourists, sells knockoffs.

He'll know Simpson.

And he likes me.

Okay.

So take Bruno and make it happen.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Hey, there he is. My CI.

His name's Cheez.

Right there in the denim jacket.

It looks like he's running a scam.

Cheez?
Oh, yeah, always.

He's probably selling them fake
tickets to "Sunset Boulevard."

Hey, Cheez!
Cheez!

I thought you said this guy likes you.

Yeah, maybe like
was too strong a word.

[PEOPLE SHOUTING]

- Hey, hey, hey.
- Come on.

Come on, come on, come on.

You're not gonna bust me for...

for bogus tickets, man.

That ain't you.

[PANTING]

All right, look, I got
some solid info on Epstein.

- Epstein?
- Ignore what he says, okay?

It's a gift that keeps giving.

Oh, Griffy, Griff, Griff.

Streets have been talking.

They say you hung
up your Batman wings?

Just shut your mouth and listen to me.

- Derek Simpson.
- D. S... [LAUGHS]

D. Simpson, yeah. Man with a plan.

I need a meet.

Can you do it?

D. Simpson ain't a friend
of the Blue Boys, man.

Yeah, well, you let
us worry about that.

Come on.
You can't do it?

[SCOFFS] You gonna insult me?

Enough clowning around.

What are you looking for?

Me?
Nothing.

Cheezman operates the favor bank.

D. Simpson's always looking

for high-net-worth
people connections, so.

Make it happen.

You got it.

Ah.

[VEHICLE APPROACHING]

[OMINOUS MUSIC]

♪ ♪

I fly solo.

No partners, no loose ends.

You feel me?

I like that.

You working with anyone
else at the moment?

If you think I'm gonna give
you my résumé, we're done.

Nah, nah, you check out.

But first, strip down.
I gotta be sure.

Trust is important,

but I don't strip for no man.

[LAUGHS]

♪ ♪

Our hyperbaric oxygen
chambers

provide our members
with a rejuvenating,

restorative experience,

promoting healing
and general well-being.

Over here, we have morning
mindfulness meditation.

And in this room, hot yoga, 10:00 a.m.

Well, that sounds very
healthy, and extremely early.

We were told your late
nights get pretty wild.

Our mutual friend, Mr. Rogers,

mentioned you might be interested

in our after-hours events.

Well, Mr. Rogers is a very smart guy.

Indeed he is.

I love your Patek.

Oh, yeah.
I should, um,

introduce you to my watch guy.

He can get you to the
top of any waiting list.

Hey, I got a question for you.

Is there anything you
can show us to, you know,

convince us to drop 50 Gs
on a membership?

Well, why don't you come by tonight?

You can be my guests.

Sure, yeah.
I guess...

I guess we're free.

And tonight will be all
about free, free everything.

Freedom is my favorite word.

There's just one formality.

Everyone who parties here,

needs to sign these consent forms.

Lawyers.

Hey, you're a watch guy, right?

- Yes.
- What do you think of that?

Ah, it's a nice piece.

- A gold Cosmograph Daytona.
- Mm-hmm.

Can I ask what you paid?

This is preposterous.

"The undersigned waives
all rights regarding consent"

"and understands that
the actions of any member"

"are free from all
potential litigation,"

"civil or criminal."

In other words, r*pe anyone you want

and no one says anything.

Can they enforce a contract like that?

Of course not.
This is total B.S.

But that's just not the issue.

The fact of the matter is
that everyone that signs it

thinks that it's legally binding.

Meaning anything could
happen and it goes unreported.

So I'm starting to understand
why Maya won't talk to us.

She thinks she can't.

- We gotta get moving.
- Yeah.

So listen, um, be careful, okay?

And just be prepared because

these undercovers
can go sideways quickly.

I've been undercover before, Captain.

Trust me, not like this.

Okay.

Gentlemen, welcome.

Have a mushroom water
and head downstairs.

You'll need to hydrate.

[POUNDING ELECTRONIC MUSIC PLAYING]

♪ ♪

[PANTING, MOANING]

Everyone down there was
engaged in some type of sex.

Saw that judge that got
bounced to family court,

the one that used to
have the sex workers

sit on his lap during arraignments?

Groneman?
That piece of garbage?

Couple of basketball
players, and that,

uh, Wall Street guy
the Feds just indicted

for that Ponzi scheme.

I don't know that we found something

specific to our victim.

Absolutely saw women that looked like

they didn't want to be there.

If we raid that place
during one of their events,

we're gonna get some drug busts

and embarrass some one-percenters.

Then our case gets burned.

Okay, guys.

All right, everyone
go home, all right?

Go home, get some sleep, and we will...

Figure out next steps tomorrow.

Night.

[OMINOUS MUSIC]

♪ ♪

[UPBEAT PULSATING MUSIC]

♪ ♪

You went in alone?

I know I should have
brought Bruno with me, but...

No, no, no, no, so,
Griffin, this is unacceptable.

I've already told you twice

that we do things differently here,

- and we don't do things alone.
- I'm sorry. I thought...

You're sorry?

You said that before.

Sorry means you made a
mistake, and guess what.

You did.

You know what?

I don't think this is gonna work out.

I'm gonna actually call Chief Tynan

and say that I don't need a cowboy

who makes decisions on his own...

Okay, Captain, can you,
can you please just

hear me out for a second, please?

- [SIGHS]
- I know I took the wrong approach...

- You did.
- Okay?

I hated that our undercover
didn't get enough.

It was eating me up, you know?

And I kept hearing
your voice telling me,

we have to care
about the victim, okay?

So I let my instincts
cloud my judgment.

I went back in,

- but I saw something.
- What did you see?

First time we went there was a girl,

- and she was giving us a tour.
- Okay, and?

She was in the basement last night,

but she was totally out of it.

There was a guy just pawing her.

She-she couldn't
even push him away.

So I went back in.

I know I should have
done things differently, but...

Griffin, I appreciate your empathy.

- I really do, but...
- I found her, all right?

I got her number.

Isabella Cruz.

She can meet us in an hour.

I was living with my
parents in Florida,

and my friend from high
school told me she had this

great job up here as a shot girl.

She said the money was
insane, so I got on a bus.

That's when you met Simpson?

He was super nice.

Um, offered to hook me
up with modeling agencies.

Gave me a job at
the club as a shot girl.

At first, it was great.
I mean,

ridiculous money,
any drug you wanted,

living in New York.

But, um...

After a few months,

the drugs, like, went away.

So he got you hooked on drugs,

and then he had something
to manipulate you with.

He said there was a way I could make

more money at the club.

It's okay.

Isabella, it's okay.
Take your time, really.

[SOMBER MUSIC]

I try to just, like, zone out,

and let them do
whatever they want, but...

I hate it.

I'm nothing to them.

They can just pay for
whatever they want,

and I have to take it.

♪ ♪

I'm stuck.

I signed that contract.

And he said if I tried to
leave, he would ruin my life,

and I believe him.

I mean, the people he knows, I'd...

[SCOFFS] I'd be
better off if I were dead.

That is not true, Isabella.

And we will protect you.

That's what he said.

I didn't think anyone
in this whole city cared.

We do.

We can help you.

Whatever I can do.

I-I'm...
I'm down. I'm ready.

I don't want this to
happen to anyone else.

Good.

NYPD! Freeze!

- Nobody move!
- Drop it! Drop it!

Hey, this is private property.

Get the hell out of my club.

Stay down, scumbag.

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Captain.

Hi.
You're okay.

I'm Captain Curry with the NYPD.

You're safe.

We're all just here to help you.

I know I don't have to say anything.

♪ ♪

SVU ex*cuted the
warrant at the sex club

and we found a bunch of young women

that we believe are being trafficked,

and it looks like you had
a case with two of them

a couple years ago.

Uh, Leyla Erdem and,
uh, Tanya Santiago.

Right.
Brothel on 44th off 8th.

Well, they're witnesses for us now.

- The only problem is...
- Is that they lawyered up.

What are you, clairvoyant?

If I was, I wouldn't be single.

No, it was a cluster.

I tried to get the women to turn

on the brothel owners,
asshat named Simpson,

but they all invoked.

My turn to guess now.

Danny Boy Olin?

Olin was obviously house counsel.

Couldn't get Simpson, so...

- the women went down as charged.
- Disgrace.

I mean, I knew Olin was
slick, but representing

an entire brothel of sex workers

just to protect the owner?

That-that-that's a
different level of scummery.

So, what's your plan?

I'm gonna move to have him
removed from the entire case.

Can I draw up that motion?

It'd be sweet revenge
for what he did in my case.

Absolutely.

Hey, while you're at it,

you wanna help me
take this prick down?

Second chair?

Yes, I do.

All right, get on it.

Your Honor, the People
went after Mr. Simpson

like he's John Gotti.

He runs a clean club, has
never been arrested before,

and from what I know,
Carisi's got no real witnesses.

Well, actually, Judge, to that point,

I am moving that
you disqualify Mr. Olin.

He's acting here as
house counsel, and...

Hold on.
What's this?

Well, in addition to
representing Mr. Simpson,

he also represents a number
of my potential witnesses.

Interesting.

Mr. Olin?

I'm not surprised that Mr. Carisi

is afraid to face me at trial.

But here's a solution.

I will terminate my representation

of anyone affiliated with this case

and only represent Mr. Simpson.

Mr. Carisi, as long as
you do not anticipate calling

Mr. Olin as a witness...

I only deal with honest
witnesses, Your Honor.

Enough.
Motion to disqualify denied.

Bail is set at 25,000.
Next case.

Captain, you should see this.

What? What are we looking at?

I searched this site for
references to Sensate,

and this popped up.

[UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING]

That's our victim.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

Does she look like she's
consenting to anything?

No, she doesn't.

Maybe we can identify one
of these guys as the perp.

See how many clips you can find.

♪ ♪

Mr. Simpson promised us everything...

Work, housing,

the chance to meet powerful people.

But once he got me hooked on drugs,

he forced me to sell drugs
and have sex with the members.

Did you consent to having
sex with the members?

I didn't have a choice.

He told us that by signing
that consent contract,

we had to do what he said.

Why didn't you just leave?

I...
I had no place to go.

Thank you, Isabella.

I have nothing further, Your Honor.

Mr. Olin.

Thank you, Judge.

Ms. Cruz, I'm only going
to ask you a few questions,

if you could please
answer either yes or no.

Did Mr. Simpson physically force you

to sign the consent waiver?

No.

Did he ever physically force
you to have sex with anyone?

- No, but...
- That's enough.

Do you have any records at all,

that would prove that
Mr. Simpson paid you

to have sex with anyone?

Records?

Yes.

No-no, I don't...
I don't have any records.

Did Mr. Simpson ever touch
you in any inappropriate way?

- No, but...
- It sounds to me like

you've made all the
mistakes a woman can make,

and now you're
here trying to put them all

on my innocent client.

- Objection.
- Sustained.

I'm done.

[TENSE MUSIC]

I run a clean, safe,
sexually free club.

We've never had one violation.

Not one.

Well, let's talk about
these allegations.

Did you provide drugs to anyone?

Absolutely not.

What about prostitution?

Mr. Olin,

I provide a safe place

for people to explore
their sexual desires.

Now, I know it may
sound peculiar to some.

I accept that it may
even sound distasteful.

But do we really
want to live in a world

where the government
dictates how people

conduct their sex lives?

Nothing further, Judge.

Mr. Carisi?

Actually, Your Honor,

ADA Jones will be handling this cross.

Welcome, ADA Jones.

Thank you, Your Honor.

[SIGHS]

You just said that
everything that happens

inside your club is consensual.

Because it is.

Then why do you have your members

sign these consent waivers?

It was the lawyers who drew that up.

You just heard Detectives Bruno

and Griffin testify, correct?

The men who lied to gain entry?

- I heard them.
- Yes,

the detectives who
went undercover to expose

your criminal conduct.

- Objection.
- Sustained.

Didn't you tell them,
that in order to gain entry,

they needed to sign this waiver?

I did.

Because you knew that some
people wouldn't understand

that they could never
sign away their consent

when they enter your club.

Again, i-it was the lawyers...

I don't care what the lawyers think.

Mr. Simpson, I want
to know what you think.

Do you think that someone
could sign away their consent?

- I'm not the person to decide that.
- Do you think that

any woman who steps
into your $50,000 club

is consenting to be r*ped?

- That is not what I...
- Are you actually

running a house of prostitution

where women are drugged
and used by powerful men?

I am not doing that.

Are you just a pig, Mr. Simpson?

Ms. Jones, not in my courtroom.

Jury will disregard.

♪ ♪

I apologize, Your Honor.

Nothing further.

I have a lawyer.
You're not allowed to...

I'm not here to interrogate you, Maya.

I'm here because I think that
you need to see something.

[GASPS]

Oh, my God.

Why are you showing me that?

- I don't want to see it.
- Because,

anybody who looks at this video

can see what's happening.

Anybody who looks at that
can see that you,

are not present.

There's no way that
you consented to that,

no matter what piece
of paper that you signed.

I'm so ashamed.

Maya, the only people
that should be ashamed

are the men that did this to you.

I did this to myself, okay?

All the people that went to that club

were there for the same reason...
For sex, right?

To have fun, to have freedom.

And all those men are
having fun and freedom,

but you weren't.

- You were victimized.
- No, I...

And then they used
shame to silence you.

Look at this.
I signed up for it, okay?

I did.

That's what everybody's gonna say...

that I paid,

a lot of money,

to have sex with strangers.

But you didn't sign up to be r*ped.

[SIGHS]

[SOMBER MUSIC]

You gotta separate it out, Maya.

I think you should go.
I'm sorry.

I can't help you.

I can't help you, because...

I cannot testify,

because people will
see about it at work.

My friends will see it.

All this will do is just ruin my life.

I don't think so.

What are you so afraid of?

What people will say about you?

- Yes.
- They're gonna call you names?

What are they gonna call you?

They're gonna call me a wh*re.

No, I'm not gonna call you that.

The people in my team
will not call you that.

And anybody...

Who doesn't see that
you were victimized

from that video is
not worth listening to,

let me tell you.

You know that's not
what you signed up for.

I know.

I can't.
I can't.

[SOBS] I can't.

You can.

Don't take on what's not yours, okay?

♪ ♪

[SNIFFLES]

[SIGHS]

I remember somebody pushing me,

and I told them to stop.

[SIGHS]

I was screaming,

and someone...

Put their hand on my mouth,
and stopped me.

[SOBBING]

I haven't told anyone.

I've barely left the apartment.

I...
I feel so alone.

And you're not the first
woman to feel like this.

They used your shame to silence you.

[EXHALES]

Think about what happens,

if you start talking.

♪ ♪

I know now I was drugged
and lured into behavior

I didn't want to do.

And, Maya, did you
ever see Mr. Simpson

- sell drugs in the club?
- I did.

And did you ever see
him pay young women

to provide sex to the members?

Yes, I did.

And how do you know all this?

Because I...
I was there.

I was a member, and I saw it all,

and I refuse to stay silent anymore.

Thank you, Maya.
I have nothing further.

You signed the waiver of
consent form, did you not?

- Yes, I did, but...
- Thank you.

Were you threatened to sign it?

No, but I was told that every
member was required to sign it.

And you knew that by
signing the document,

you were waiving consent?

I now know that a person
can never waive that right.

But you wanted to
engage in free sex so badly,

you would have signed
anything at that time, correct?

I signed up for the same
thing everybody else did.

Thank you.

I didn't sign up to be r*ped.

Objection, nonresponsive.

Overruled.

Mr. Simpson never physically
assaulted you, correct?

No.

Never even touched
you in a sexual manner?

No.

In fact, my client never
even threatened you, did he?

Yes, he did, actually.

- That's enough.
- Let her finish her answer,

- Your Honor.
- Mr. Olin, you asked the question.

Ms. Moretti, please continue.

[TENSE MUSIC]

One night, Derek was just screaming...

At one of the shot girls,
getting in her face.

I went up to him and
said to give her a break,

and he just...

Lost it,

said that if I didn't
get away from him,

he would make sure I had
a really, really bad night.

I believed him.

♪ ♪

Madam Foreperson,
please read your verdict.

As to count one,
promoting prostitution

in the third degree, how do you find

the defendant, Derek Simpson?

Guilty.

As to count two, sex trafficking

in the second degree, how
do you find the defendant?

Guilty.

And as to count three, criminal sale

of a controlled substance
in the third degree?

Guilty.

♪ ♪

- Congratulations.
- Thank you.

See you outside.

- Well done.
- Thank you, Captain.

Getting Maya on the stand
was the nail in the coffin.

Hang on to her.
I like her.

Yeah, I already got her transferred.

Night, Captain.

Oh, good night.

Hey, I, uh...

I really blew it going
in that club alone.

I own that.

You know, I always wanted to be a cop.

And, uh...

Once I saw I was pretty good at it,

I, uh...

I never really questioned
myself, you know?

So now it just...

To be honest, it just
feels kind of weird to...

- You know.
- Yeah.

Well, as we discussed,
you know, it's...

It's a learning curve,

and not everyone is right for SVU.

Right, yeah.
Yeah.

Well, I'd understand if
you have to ship me out.

Well, Isabella...

Cruz, saw something in you.

And you made her feel safe, and, uh...

And you can't teach that.

So here's the deal...

As long as we are all
on the same team...

[SOFT TENSE MUSIC]

You may have a home here.

Yeah.
Yeah, okay.

Thank you.

Hey, and I understand
chain of command, okay?

I promise I will never,
never go behind your back.

Well, that is good to know.

Yeah.

- Good night.
- Good night.

Sweet.

♪ ♪

- Hey, John.
- Hey, kid.

Good to see you.

Chief Tynan's inside waiting for you.

Thanks.

♪ ♪