Delman Chase is Christian Garland's reverend, who was secretly a serial statutory rapist.
Background[]
Chase was a good friend of Christian Garland, serving as the minister of his wedding and the godfather of his daughter. He opened a school, where he began sexual relationships with the underage girls there. Chase would move onto a new girl when the others got older, and he would also pay them off with church funds. One girl, Renée Lee, would record one of their encounters. Chase responded by taking her computer and paying off her and her mother. Unknown to him, she kept a copy of the encounter on her phone.
Garland's Baptism By Fire[]
When a member of Chase's church was arrested on embezzlement charges, she revealed to the Special Victims Unit that Chase was a predator who preyed on teenage girls and paid them large sums of money to keep quiet. One girl in particular confirmed how he tried to seduce her but she rebuffed him though still took the check to keep quiet. However, SVU found Renee and she had video footage of her rape. Chase was represented by Edgar Goodwin and denied the accusations but the detectives doubted him. He was arrested but given bail, denying ever raping anyone and condemning Garland and the SVU's actions.
At first, Chase's wife Laura stood by him, but after talking to several of the victims, she told Captain Benson to charge him, showing remorse and guilt for standing by him. Chase went to the DA office where ADA Carisi revealed all the testimonies from his accusers. Although he continued to deny the allegations he was deeply shocked to hear that his own wife turned against him. To avoid a trial, Chase pled guilty and was convicted. Goodwin also arranged for Chase to have a new lawyer defending him after realizing his guilt. His wife proceeds to cut ties with him by not accepting his phone calls. The church also reject him with nobody, except his new lawyer visiting him.
Garland visited Chase in prison; in a delusional state, Chase claimed the Lord put him in prison to test him and help fellow prisoners see the light of God. Garland proceeded to chastise Chase for his own actions putting him away and says he has to own up but Chase simply told him not to visit him again and left to serve his sentence but not before Garland told him he would pray for him. (SVU: "Garland's Baptism By Fire")