"Downloaded Child" | ||
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← | SVU, Episode 15.19 | → |
Production number: 15019 First aired (US): 2 April 2014 First aired (UK): 4 May 2014 First aired (CAN): 2 April 2014 First aired (AUS): 8 May 2014 | ||
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Teleplay By Jill Abbinanti Story By Julie Martin & Warren Leight Directed By Adam Bernstein |
A troubled young woman trying to protect her daughter is confronted by the harsh reality of her own childhood.
Summary[]
Single mom Jenny Aschler is arrested for child endangerment. Not trusting anyone to take care of her young daughter Maddie, she instead leaves her home alone for days. Jenny's fierce motherly instincts and fear of men leads Sergeant Benson to suspect she may have been a victim of child abuse. With help from Dr. Lindstrom, Jenny recovers deeply repressed memories of violence, rape and neglect.
Plot[]
A six-year-old girl named Maddie is found teetering near the edge of a balcony and refuses to come inside. Amaro & Rollins are able to rescue her and Maddie reveals that her mother left her home alone.
The detectives find Maddie's mother Jenny in lockup for shoplifting while on probation. She explains the reason she left her daughter home alone was because it wasn't safe to leave her with her husband Gary.
When Gary is questioned by the detectives, it is revealed that he is sexually abusive towards Jenny. In order to charge him with domestic violence, Fin & Amaro trick Gary into confessing that he raped Jenny, but Gary believes that it's legal because they're married.
Benson brings Jenny in to see her therapist Dr. Lindstrom where Jenny reveals memories of being sexually abused as young as 14 years old, but she can't remember anything beyond that.
In order to jog Jenny's memory, Amaro & Fin obtain childhood photos from Jenny's mother and discover inappropriate images of Jenny when she was a little girl. When the photos are run past the FBI, it is revealed that Jenny is a girl called "Lacy Unknown" whose pictures & videos were popular with online pedophiles.
Barba says that Jenny needs to identify herself as Lacy Unknown in order to get retribution. When Jenny is shown the photos by the detectives, she shuts down. Later on while Benson is with Dr. Lindstrom, Jenny bursts in and offers sexual favors to Dr. Lindstrom. When he and Benson are able to calm her down, Jenny starts crying and breaks down.
Jenny is later shown at a private facility to help her recover and appears okay. She later testifies at a hearing where a man was pleading guilty to possessing an obscene image by a child. The defendant apologizes for his actions and pays $20,000 in restitution.
Benson shows Jenny additional cases from the past & present that could result in more restitution, but Jenny refuses to testify in anymore cases. Later, Barba is able to convince a millionaire who shared Jenny's photos to pay $4,000,000 in restitution. Jenny accepts the money and is able to get custody of Maddie back.
The end of the episode show Benson and Cassidy going their separate ways.
Cast[]
Main Cast[]
- Mariska Hargitay as Sergeant Olivia Benson
- Danny Pino as Detective Nick Amaro
- Kelli Giddish as Detective Amanda Rollins
- Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola
- Raúl Esparza as A.D.A. Rafael Barba
Recurring Cast[]
- Jayne Houdyshell as Judge Ruth Linden
- Socorro Santiago as Judge P. Ortiz
- David Pittu as Defense Attorney Linus Tate
- Dean Winters as Detective Brian Cassidy
- Bill Irwin as Dr. Peter Lindstrom
- Frank Deal as FBI Agent O'Connell
- Thedra Porter as Chantal Jackson
- Kelly Briter as Assistant Corporation Counsel Bartell
Guest Cast[]
- Meghann Fahy as Jenny Aschler
- Daniel Stewart Sherman as Gary Aschler
- Jeremy Shamos as Roger Pierce
- Penny Balfour as Tammy Dobbs
- Ella Anderson as Maddie Aschler
- Lena Cigleris as Kate Corbett
- McKenzie Frye as Jade
- Ben Lipitz as Bruce Corbett
- Ian McLaughlin as ESU Officer
- Scott Eliasoph as Lawyer (uncredited)
References[]
- ACS
- Robert Aschler
- William Lewis
- Jerry Dobbs
- FBI
Quotes[]
- [about Jenny's ex-husband]
- Amaro: All right, two choices: I go beat the crap out of this guy or we call Barba.
- Benson: You're smiling, Barba. Why is that freaking me out?
- Benson: Well, you know, Brian, I've been thinking about it. You know, you and me, we found each other at the darkest, lowest point of our lives, right? You got shot, demoted. I got hurt and you got me through that.
- Cassidy: Well, we've always been there for each other, Liv.
- Benson: You know, maybe that's what it was supposed to be. Maybe... maybe there's something even more right for each of us, you know? I... I still think about about having a family. Do you ever think about having kids with me, or... or... or growing old with me?
- Cassidy: I just don't see myself growing old.
- Benson: I know you don't. I know.
- Cassidy: Look, Liv, there's something that's been on my mind for a long time now, something that I feel like I have to tell you.
- Benson: Go ahead. I can take it.
- Cassidy: No, but it's not like that, not at all, not even close. I love you.
- Benson: I love you too, Brian. Always will.
Background information and Notes[]
- Cassidy says he and Benson haven't really talked about the William Lewis trial which happened in the episode "Psycho/Therapist".
Episode scene cards[]
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
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Family Court |
Manhattan Women's |
Apartment of |
Office of |
5 | 6 | 7 |
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Office of |
Home of |
Federal Court |
Previous episode: "Criminal Stories" |
"Downloaded Child" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 15 |
Next episode: "Beast's Obsession" |