Simon Wilkes (online alias Erastes) is an alleged pedophile who frequents darknet chatrooms and forums about torturing and killing children.
Background
At an unknown point, Simon started frequenting chatrooms. In his personal life, he married a woman named Paula and had a child together named Bobby. When Bobby was six, Paula looked on his laptop and saw he was messaging people about what he wanted to do to Bobby. Paula became so terrified of what he was saying that she divorced him, forced him to relinquish all contact with his son, and moved to Canada to get away from him. He eventually met another woman and married her while continuing to frequent the chatrooms. Simon eventually moved across the street from an elementary school and started taking pictures of the students. He eventually became a photographer famous for his pictures of little boys while his wife remained oblivious. Simon eventually became associated with another pedophile going by the online moniker Flash. They eventually got into a live-stream in Estonia in which a boy was raped and tortured. Simon repeatedly requested to make the boy bleed while Flash left. Eventually, Simon witnessed the boy die and bragged about it to Flash while suggesting they find a boy no one will miss. He even gave an outline of how to kidnap, rape, and murder a boy on an online forum.
On SVU
When Flash was arrested for soliciting an undercover police officer posing as a 14-year-old girl, he tells them about Erastes and helps them set up a sting operatiojn. Lieutenant Declan Murphy and Detective Amanda Rollins go undercover as a couple interested in Simon's photographs. Declan mentions Flash and they go to a bar. Murphy eventually proposes making Simon's fantasy a reality. They turn off their phones and make plans to kidnap, rape, torture, and kill a little boy. They later meet Detective Odafin Tutuola, who Murphy says can help get a little boy. When Fin attempts to leave because Simon doesn't have $40,000, he shows them his torture chamber and suggests charging online for the money as they take requests raping and torturing the boy.
After this, SVU detectives arrest him and have CSU examine the room. He is interrogated by Sergeant Olivia Benson and Detective Nick Amaro while he claims it was all fantasy. They attempt to bring kiddie torture photos they found in his possession, but he explains that they are all photoshopped. Benson yells at how sick he is when Murphy pulls her out. Amaro attempts to get a confession from Simon before Minonna Efron barges through the door, hired by Simon's wife to represent him. At arraignment, he is charged with attempted kidnapping and attempted sexual abuse of a child and the judge sets a $5 million bail. SVU attempts to find an actual victim through interviews and lineups but are unable to find one. While he is in prison, he is evaluated by George Huang, who compares him to an addict, adding bigger doses to get the same high. He and his attorney meet with Benson and ADA Rafael Barba to discuss a plea. Barba is willing to drop the charges if he goes to counseling, gets voluntarily registered, and moves away from the school zone. Simon adds no jail time but Efron refuses, citing that Simon has done nothing wrong and they leave. At trial, he listens to the testimony of Fin, Amaro, and Huang before he takes the stand.
He testifies that he is a normal family man with a fantasy life and should not be punished for it. When Barba cross-examines him, he brings in his ex-wife and son and makes him reveal he left them because he didn't want to hurt them. Simon listens to the closing statements and the jury eventually reaches a verdict of not guilty on both charges. They even get him to keep his torture chamber. He goes a restaurant to celebrate, which is ironically where SVU is as well. He is later see taking photos outside of a schoolyard when Amaro approaches and tells him to stop, but Simon protests that he can't tell him what to do. They eventually get into a fight and Amaro goes berserk, punching Simon over and over again until police arrive and arrest Amaro. (SVU: "Thought Criminal")
Simon is seen being wheeled into an ambulance as his wife leaves with a police officer and Amaro is arrested. He is taken to the hospital, where the doctors treat him for a concussion and broken ribs. While in the hospital, he frequents more chatrooms and volunteers to exchange kiddie torture porn with another user, unaware that it is Rollins setting him up. She later uses this to blackmail him into saying he threw the first punch and the charges against Amaro are dropped. (SVU: "Spring Awakening")
Trivia
- Simon is likely based on Gilberto Valle, who was arrested and imprisoned for writing detailed plans for killing and cannibalizing his wife, despite his claims that the writings were only fantasy.