Erik Weber is a member of COAP (Citizens Organized Against Predators), a local organization dedicated to protecting children from pedophiles. It is later revealed, however, that he himself is a pedophile.
Background[]
Erik grew up in Delaware with his younger sister Grace. He already had pedophilic tendencies before he raped his younger sister when he was a teenager, afterwards telling her that it was a misunderstanding and that it would never happen again. However, he continued to rape her throughout her entire childhood. He eventually moved to New York, where he told people that his sister committed suicide when she was raped by a pedophile who was never caught. He tried to fight his urges but always gave in. Eventually, he joined COAP to avoid detection by the police and teaches a self-defense class for girls - many of whom end up being his victims. He would always wear a mask to hide his identity in his attacks and strike when the girls were alone. He also forces the girls to take pictures so as to keep a memento of the rape.
On SVU[]
Erik first became known to Detectives Benson and Stabler during their investigation into the apparent abduction of a young girl named Mackenzie Burton. He is suspected of persuading her to run away with him so he could take advantage of her, being punched by her outraged father. He is arrested and interrogated by Benson and Stabler, but he claims that he was merely trying to persuade the girl to go home. It is eventually discovered that Mackenzie was lying to them, and Erik is cleared of any wrongdoing with an apology. While leaving, he asks Benson out for a lunch date. (SVU: "Locum")
After this, he proceeds to kidnap and rape a girl named Rose Samonsky at the Laffy Times Kids Club. When Benson and Stabler arrive to question him about flyers he posted around the area, he uses this opportunity to monitor the investigation by continuing to feign interest in Benson. He later kidnaps and rapes another girl named Mandy LeCompte, pinning both crimes on a local sex offender named Edwin Adelson. Edwin is beaten by a police officer (whose child was friends with a victim) and later commits suicide after crashing his car into a fuel tanker, which exploded and horrified Erik.
With Adelson's death, the case was closed, and he gave his files to SVU before Benson has him come to speak with Mandy and her mother about enrolling in his class. Mandy unintentionally reveals Erik's identity as the real rapist when she urinates on a chair after recognizing his voice. Benson and Stabler then look into Erik's past and find that Grace is in fact alive and residing in Delaware. They bring her to New York as part of a plan to get Erik to confess. Benson goes to his apartment and pretends to come on to him. When he rebuffs her advances, she insinuates that he is more interested in little girls. He angrily insists that he was only upset because the case brought back memories of Grace, who promptly appears alive and well while revealing what he did to her.
Panicked, Erik pleads with them, saying he can't help himself and calls what he did sick. When Benson dismisses him, Erik loses his composure and insults her before taking a swing at her. Benson dodges the punch and knocks him out cold. Grace also destroys Erik's painting of herself to end her past trauma. The detectives take Erik into custody, and he is expelled from COAP and sentenced to life in prison for three counts of child rape in the first degree and one count of manslaughter in the first degree (as his actions drove Edwin to suicide). (SVU: "Bullseye")
Known Victims[]
- 1982: Grace Weber (his sister; raped)
- 2010:
- August 31-September 1: Rose Samonsky (raped)
- September 2: Mandy LeCompte (raped)
- September 3:
- Edwin Adelson (framed him for his crimes; later committed suicide as a result of the pressure)
- Detective Olivia Benson (attempted to assault)