Frank Maddox is a renowned television producer who raped his sisters-in-law when they were young and molested his eight-year-old daughter Chelsea.
Background[]
Frank met Catherine Summers when she was a teenager. After they got married, he helped her become a renowned actress. One night when Frank was at a party with Catherine's younger sister, Mavis Summers, he sexually assaulted her. Maddox then began an affair with Catherine's youngest sister, Rose Summers, who was underage. He took nude pictures of her when she was in her mid-teens. Frank and Catherine later had a son, Daniel, whom Frank ignored and was hard on, and a daughter, Chelsea, on whom Frank showered affection.
Frank eventually left Catherine and became engaged to Rose, leaving Catherine feeling angry and betrayed. During their divorce Catherine got full custody of the kids and forbid Frank to be near them. One day while Catherine was out, Frank came by the house to visit his daughter. When he and Chelsea were playing a board game Frank gave the housekeeper permission to go out and smoke a cigarette, after which he purposefully spilled his drink on Chelsea's shirt and took her down to the basement, supposedly to wash her clothes. He then molested her.
Reasonable Doubt[]
Eventually, Chelsea discloses to her therapist that she was molested by her father, and the SVU detectives begin to investigate the claims. While Frank is producing another T.V. episode, sergeant Olivia Benson and lieutenant Declan Murphy question him, but Maddox denies the charges. After the nude photos of Rose Summers are leaked onto the internet, she and Maddox appear on the news and claim that Catherine made Chelsea make false accusations. Catherine and her mother press charges against him. When Maddox is questioned by the detectives, he and his attorney Lester Cohen claim that Catherine and Chelsea's therapist should be arrested for making false reports. Maddox then bribes the housekeeper to support his story. When Catherine takes the stand, Maddox's attorney Cohen, tries to portray her as a vindictive has-been and claims that she manipulated Chelsea into making false accusations against Frank to get back at him for cheating on her. Frank then takes the stand and maintains that he would never harm a child.
Mavis appears on the news where she reveals that she exposed the child photos of Rose to help stop Frank from hurting anyone else. She then reveals how Frank assaulted her when she was younger and berates everyone who allowed him to escape punishment because of his celebrity status. Afterwards, Frank escapes to France before ADA Rafael Barba can cross examine him, fearing he would be convicted. After Frank is found guilty of molesting Chelsea in the United States, he appears on international news in France with Rose at his side and proclaims his innocence. He claims that Catherine and Mavis have a vendetta against him, and vows to never return to the United States of his own accord. (SVU: "Reasonable Doubt")