Law & Order Special Victims Unit s04e19 Episode Script
Appearances
In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous.
In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
Everyone stay with your partners and sit in front.
Mrs.
MacNamara, Caleb's not sitting in the front.
Yes, Stacey, I can see.
We need to be let off at the Natural History Museum.
I stop at Mrs.
MacNamara, someone's left their suitcase.
It's pretty heavy.
Don't touch it, Caleb.
I want everyone off this bus right now.
Why? Why? We cleared 250 feet in every direction.
It's all yours.
Okay.
Gonna take long to set up the X-ray? No, they're good to go.
Could be nothing.
Maybe somebody just forgot their suitcase.
Till it's properly ID'd, I'm not taking any chances.
X- ray should tell us clear enough.
Image is coming up.
Oh, man, it's not a bomb.
Female victim, eight or nine, no ID.
Jammed inside a suitcase which was left on the bus.
Driver remember who brought it on? Nope.
This was his third run.
Could be anyone from Union Square to 147th Street.
Basically all of Manhattan.
Cause of death? I don't know yet.
How long she been in the suitcase? Hard to say.
She has ligature marks on her ankles and wrists.
That and the lividity, she had to be held somewhere else first, tied in the cuffing position, hands behind her back.
She's got French nails.
Nice manicure.
Pedicure, too.
Salon job.
Looks like she got the full treatment.
She's got dark roots.
She's not a natural blonde.
Isn't she a bit young to be made up like a fashion model? Not if she's on the kiddy pageant circuit.
As in JonBenet? Yep.
We got ourselves a dead beauty queen.
Rape kit was positive for fluids, I'm running the DNA.
We know how she died? Afraid so.
I found vomit and fragments of latex in her mouth.
So he ties her up, he rapes her.
She's terrified, throws up, can't remove the gag.
And our perp just watches her die.
I also found a piece of saw grass on the inside of her sweater.
Saw grass? Does that grow around here? No.
It grows almost exclusively in the Florida Everglades.
So, maybe he kidnapped her down there, brought her up here.
Anything to support the beauty pageant theory? You bet.
Obliquely oriented cicatricial contracture along the internal nasal vault.
What the hell is that? A damn good nose job.
Suitcase model was discontinued 10 years ago, but it used to be available nationwide.
Couple of partial prints, but not enough to make a positive ID.
Nobody saw the guy leave it on the bus? Patrol's passing out flyers along the bus route.
Nothing yet, except some old lady said she saw Osama bin Laden.
And the victim? No missing kid reports in Florida or the tri-state area in the last 24 hours.
Any hits on beauty contests? I faxed the victim's photo to the Little Miss Angel Pageant in Westchester.
They checked it against finalists for the last two years, no matches.
Well, to make the nationals, you must have to compete locally.
Any recent contests in the area? Actually, in the last two months, one in Queens, one in Greenwich, and one coming up in Garden City.
I wonder how many of these Little Miss Angels get nose jobs when they're nine.
Olivia, you and Elliot talk to the nip and tuck brigade.
John, what do you say, you and me check out the kiddie pageant scene? Girls, practice your entrances.
Six steps, stop, smile and twirl.
Step, stop, smile and twirl.
New York City Police.
We need a word.
Parents actually pay you to inflict this on their kids? Yes.
The young ladies find it very character forming.
I have taught literally hundreds of aspiring Little Angels.
You teach this one? Oh, my God! What happened? Her body was found this morning.
We think she might be a contestant.
Not in any recent competitions.
But I do keep files of all the hopefuls who don't make the cut.
They're arranged alphabetically.
What? Yeah.
So, can anybody get in to see the pageants? Oh, no, we are very strict about checking people's door badges.
How hard is it to get a badge? $25.
That was Olivia.
Nassau cops put out a missing kid alert about an hour ago.
Girl's name is Cherie Lathan, lives in Valley Stream.
Olivia and Elliot are on their way to talk to the parents.
Bingo, I got a match on the victim.
Mr.
Lathan, how long has Cherie been competing? About four years.
After one of her friends entered the Little Miss Angel Pageant, Cherie wanted to do it, too.
And when was her last pageant? Three months ago, right before she had an operation.
Plastic surgery.
You're never gonna have that edge, if you don't go for it.
It's what Cherie wanted.
It's what you wanted.
Why did it take you so long to report your daughter missing? Last night she slept over at her friend Amy Prescott's house, and this morning she was supposed to go right to school.
That's where I thought she was.
When was the last time you saw Cherie? Yesterday afternoon, when he took her to get new headshots.
And then I dropped her off at Amy's.
We'll need Amy's address.
Have you been to Florida recently? We took Cherie to Disney World at Christmas.
We're going to need a DNA sample, Mr.
Lathan.
It's standard procedure.
I know what you're thinking, but I'd never hurt Cherie.
I worshipped her.
Did Cherie spend the night here last night, Mrs.
Prescott? Yes.
And did she go to school this morning with Amy? Amy came down with the flu, so Cherie went on her own.
I offered to give her a ride to the bus stop, but she said she'd walk.
How far away is the bus stop? Four blocks.
I should have insisted on driving her, but I didn't want to leave Amy.
I'm sorry.
Amy, did Cherie ever mention anyone bothering her? Kind of.
Yeah? Who's that? There's this creepy guy in tenth grade.
What's his name? Kevin.
I don't know his last name.
What sorts of things did Kevin do? He used to come up to us and tell Cherie that she looked really hot.
You know, like he meant it.
Mmm-hmm.
He ever follow you guys around? Sometimes.
And he'd hang around at gymnastics practice and just stare at us.
Kevin's an enterprising young man.
He posts his stories for the world to read on his own website.
Listen to this.
"9-year-old flesh is like fruit from the tree, firm but sweet.
"What I would do to take a bite out of Cherie.
" It's downhill from there.
School have anything to say about him? Guidance counselor said he recently persuaded a sixth grader to pose in a bikini.
He said it was for an art project.
This creep is 15.
You tell me that's not predatory behavior.
Well, he looks good for it.
Especially since the DNA on Cherie's father came back clean.
He still turned his daughter into a sex object.
Made her ripe for Kevin's picking.
That must be Kevin and his dad.
Talk to them.
Where were you this morning, Kevin? School marked you absent.
You were ditching? I was walking around.
It helps me think.
That's not much of an alibi.
I don't need an alibi.
I would never touch Cherie.
You hurt her pretty bad in your little stories.
"She tried to escape, but I was too strong.
"I held her down and licked her tears away.
" Look, they're just stories, all right.
Creative expression.
The minute you censor them, you're just like a Nazi.
Cherie was raped and murdered.
I don't want to hear about your damn stories.
Look, I make stuff up, I don't do it.
Then give us a DNA sample.
No.
You can't violate my civil liberties just because I've got a good imagination.
He'll give you a sample.
You can't force me.
Sure he can.
Parental consent is all we need till you're 16.
This isn't fair.
You fascists lay one finger on me, I will sue.
Sit down, you little prick.
Will this do? Sorry, no match.
It's not Kevin.
Maybe not this time, just give him a couple of years.
So, we've got nothing.
Not exactly.
Blood traces in the perp's ejaculate gave us something interesting.
High levels of progesterone.
Well, that's a female hormone.
Most often given to high school girls to prevent pregnancy.
So, why's our perp taking that? To block testosterone production.
He could be using it to treat advanced prostatic cancer, or he's undergoing male-to-female gender reassignment.
And it's given to sex offenders to reduce sex drive.
But synthetic testosterone isn't.
I also found traces of that in the blood.
Our guy's trying to reverse the effects of chemical castration.
He raped a girl, I'd say he succeeded.
And I bet that freak won't stop at one.
New York doesn't chemically castrate sex offenders.
We got nine states that do, Georgia being the closest one to us.
What about voluntary castration? Technically you can self-inject, but we're doubting our guy did.
I mean, otherwise what's he doing taking testosterone? He's done his homework.
The effects of Depo-Provera can be blocked within a week by using testosterone supplements.
So this guy traded in his breasts for a sex drive.
Does that fit the crime scene profile? Absolutely.
Beauty pageants offer the killer the perfect victim.
Sexualized children who are both innocent and provocative.
Elaborate bondage shows that he fantasized about this for a long time before he dared even act on it.
Get a list of castratees from the nine states.
Check probation violations, relocations and child-abduction priors.
Prison bureau in Georgia, they send you to the parole board which sends you to the state attorney, who sends you back to the parole board.
Yeah, I got the same run around in Oregon, Texas and Louisiana.
Chemical castration hasn't been legal long enough for there to be a centralized database.
Look, there's got to be a way for us to narrow this down.
All right, Florida is one of our states.
We've been thinking that Cherie got that saw grass on her when she took that trip to Orlando.
But the ME says that saw grass grows exclusively in the Everglades.
That's south of there.
Our perp undresses Cherie, he transfers the saw grass from his clothes to hers? Okay, maybe.
Now, what do we know about these three upright citizens in Florida? Well, one died in a car crash, and the parole officers for the other two say they're squeaky clean.
Squeaky-clean sex offender, yeah, that's a new one.
Rob Canotti from Milwaukee started chemical castration treatments four years ago.
Had a supervised relocation to Jersey City.
Well, maybe, he made an unsupervised trip to Florida.
What was Canotti charged with? He kidnapped a girl from a beauty pageant.
He tried to assault her in his car.
The girl escaped.
She was 10.
Rob Canotti? New York Police in Jersey City.
Has a child been attacked? Why would you ask us that question? Why else are you here? To talk about kiddie beauty pageants.
We hear they turn you on.
If I denied it, you'd call me a liar.
You ever see a little girl named Cherie Lathan compete? Not that I recall, but it's hard to keep track of so many little lovelies.
Where were you last night? At home watching Nickelodeon.
Can anyone vouch for that? I live alone.
Well, then, I think you better come with us.
There's no point.
Benson.
The guy you're looking for probably ejaculated in his victim.
What are you saying? The urges started to come back.
So I had them cut off.
What? My gonads, Detective.
Take a look.
All right, all right.
Put your johnson back in your pants, Canotti.
That was Fin.
Turns out one of our squeaky-clean Florida boys has a mother who lives two towns over from Cherie Lathan.
What's his name? Tommy Hedges.
Munch and Fin are on their way over now.
This was Tommy's room, but I've kept it the same since he was a boy.
He ever visit from Florida, Mrs.
Hedges? No, of course not.
He can't leave the state while he's on probation.
But he knows that his room is here for him when he's done his time.
That's your van in the driveway? It was my late husband's.
Lady like you, living all alone, what do you need a big van for? I'm keeping it for Tommy.
Mind if we take a look inside? I haven't driven it in over a year.
I don't even know where the keys are.
Tommy ever talk to you about his problems? They're in the past.
I mean, he feels terrible about what he did, but he's changed.
How? He's on medication, and he's found a job in Florida.
He's determined to start a new life.
That's awfully clean for a van that hasn't been driven in a year.
I say we haul Mom in for questioning.
I don't like sweating old ladies.
It offends my sense of decorum.
Oh, you'd rather be looking through garbage? Cop's gotta do what he's gotta do.
"Mundialfarmacia.
Com, laboratorios de Mexico.
" Liquid testosterone.
Hey, get away from there! That's private property.
You can't just go on looking through that.
It's on the street, we can look all we want.
Tommy's been coming home, hasn't he? I don't know what you're talking about.
Well, that's his name and last week's date.
We need to see him.
Look, you have to understand, Tommy really is better.
He found a job at an advertising agency in New York.
He works Monday through Thursday's, and then he flies down to Miami to get his injection.
He's cured.
Tommy Hedges? Police.
We need you to come with us.
What for? Parole violation.
Oh, look, I can explain that.
My parole officer knows I'm here.
No, he doesn't.
Let's go.
Sure, no problem.
You don't mind if we take this? I looked for a job in Florida, but no one would give me a chance because of my record.
So I came back home.
The last thing I wanted to do was fly up each week, but I was desperate.
That's a sad story, Tommy.
I'm not asking for pity, but everyone thinks sex offender registration is this great idea.
It's not.
It's hell, especially for those of us who are trying to make a new start.
Look, I know I've broken parole, but I'm taking my shots.
What does your parole officer think you're doing? Telemarketing from home.
He never does a curfew check.
I fly back to Miami every Friday, and meet him and get my shot.
So what are you doing with testosterone, huh? That for jet lag? I want to live a normal life.
Be in a normal relationship.
What woman wants a guy who can't perform? Does Cherie Lathan count as a woman? I don't know who she is.
It's the 9-year-old you raped and killed.
No.
This is a mistake.
Well, okay.
Well, Tommy, if that's the truth, then we're gonna be the first ones to apologize to you.
We got plenty of ways to check it out.
Which flight you took from Florida, Friday night, after you met with your parole officer.
Whether there's any trace evidence of Cherie Lathan in your daddy's old van.
Whether your DNA matches the fluids found in the girl.
Some of that'll take time, but since you're going back to prison for parole violation for at least 10 years, I guess you're not in any hurry.
Tommy.
What happened? Just tell us.
You'll feel better, I promise you.
What's the matter? I'd noticed her before, with the other girls, just walking around.
She stood out like a little princess.
I offered her a ride.
I just wanted to talk to her.
She was so sweet and lovely.
Where did you do it, Tommy? In the van.
She was crying afterwards.
She was saying she would tell, and I had to keep her quiet.
And she wouldn't stop crying.
I had to stop her.
So you gagged her.
Yeah.
And then I left to get some air, and when I came back, she wasn't moving.
I didn't mean to hurt her.
Tommy, have you hurt any others, other than Cherie? No.
I thought I could control my feelings until I read that story.
What story? On the Internet.
This It had pictures and words and everything.
It stuck in my head.
Lab's got something you should see.
In all, he's got about His parole officer probably missed, they were hidden by the S-Tools software.
S- Tools? Yeah.
"S" is short for steganography.
Oh.
From the Greek, meaning "hidden writing.
" Mainly used by spies to send concealed messages.
So Hedges downloads the child porn and disguises it with this stegosaurus stuff.
The porn can be hidden in a photo of a sunset, anything at all.
Hedges simply uses the S-Tools to download and decode it.
So how'd you find it? I went onto his hard drive and used his own software.
This is what I thought you should see.
"The Story of Janet.
" Basically, it's a how to on stalking, abducting and raping little girls, with accompanying photos.
Wait a minute, she's tied up the same way, and in the same position, as Cherie Lathan.
The bastard downloaded the photos, and copied exactly what he saw.
Just because porn inspired Tommy Hedges to murder doesn't diminish his culpability.
Hedges deserves everything that's coming to him, but whoever produced these is guilty, too.
Of producing and distributing child pornography, not murder.
Look, Hedges copied exactly what he saw.
These photos are as dangerous as putting a loaded weapon in the hands of a violent criminal.
I'm not saying child pornography isn't repugnant, but you would have a hard time convincing a jury that a murderer and a pornographer are equally guilty.
Doc, what do you think? A Canadian study found that 90º/º of child sex abusers used hardcore pornography.
Well, did it make them all go out and commit murder? Pornography desensitizes.
Repeated viewing can condition arousal, so that the viewer seeks out more violent, more degrading images.
It can also increase the tendency to act out some of the activities that are portrayed.
So the murderer has no choice in the matter? I don't buy it.
No, that's not what I'm saying.
Hedges already molested children.
So he was highly susceptible to these images.
You view it, you fantasize about it, you do it.
I agree with Elliot.
Cherie Lathan might still be alive if Hedges hadn't seen these pictures.
I can't indict pictures.
You can indict the producers and the distributors.
They could be anywhere in the world.
Crime lab found the website through Hedges' laptop.
With the help of ARIN registry, we got the address.
Cyberloves Incorporated in Queens.
Bust them.
NYPD! Everyone stay where you are.
Officers, what can I do for you? Get out of my way.
Excuse me, this is private property.
Yeah, and there's your warrant.
You all right? What's your problem? What's my problem? How old are you? Nineteen.
Let me see some ID.
What's my problem? You always carry around a birth certificate with you? Yeah, 'cause I'm sick of getting harassed by cops when I'm modeling.
Modeling, right.
It says she's 19.
Let's check that out.
This picture was found on your company's website.
You know who she is? No.
She look 19 to you? No idea.
Who do you work for? Cyberloves.
I'm not breaking any law.
Sweetheart, a 9-year-old girl was murdered, just like the girl in this photo, and it was posted on Cyberloves' website by the dirt bag that you're working for.
Who runs this operation? Who signs your paycheck? Excel Entertainment.
Stanley Billings.
No girl working for Excel Entertainment is underage.
That's the company policy, and it is strictly enforced.
Now, Mr.
Billings, does your website, cyberloves.
Net, sell The Story of Janet? Yes.
And on a Tanner scale, she scores pretty low.
Tanner scale? I don't know what that is.
It's a body development chart.
One being prepubescent, Now, Janet is a two.
Some girls develop slowly.
Don't hand me that crap.
My 10-year-old daughter looks more mature than that.
I told you, we have a company rule, no underage models.
Why would I risk my business? Happy pedophiles spend more money.
You ever heard of virtual pornography? That girl is 18.
Legal age.
We only help her look younger.
And how's that? With youth enhancement software.
The people that get off on this don't think she's 18.
But she is, and looking at that is not a crime.
Thousands of men and women enjoy the services of Excel Entertainment.
Virtual pornography is actually therapeutic, it provides for men a cathartic release, and it still protects the real kids.
Not all of them.
Somebody went out and copied your images, and a real 9-year-old child wound up dead.
Then I'm truly sorry, but I still haven't broken the law.
The Story of Janet is a murder manual.
Your pornography is responsible for the death of an innocent child.
Read the Supreme Court ruling.
"The mere tendency of speech, "to encourage unlawful acts is not a sufficient reason for banning it.
" The scary thing is, the girl in the picture probably is 18.
You're telling me photo touch-ups can make her look 10? Yeah, Billings takes the digital software used to age up the missing photos of kids on milk cartons, but uses it in reverse to age them down.
Look.
I took a photo of you, Olivia, and broke it down into its thousands of digital parts.
Once the parts are isolated, you can morph them in whatever way you want.
Oh, my God.
Yeah, the good news is that a trained eye can usually tell when it's fake.
What's the bad news? In the field of image manipulation, the porn industry leads the way.
Are you telling me these sick bastards can make virtual kiddie porn and not break the law? I'm afraid so.
Excel Entertainment is skirting the letter of the law by exploiting the fantasies of pedophiles.
It's reprehensible, and it's perfectly legal.
Can't Excel be required to safeguard their website from vulnerable viewers? They already do.
You have to be 18 or older to log on.
What about The Story of Janet? They're sending out sadistic pictures along with instructions on how to abduct and rape little girls.
Then they top it off by telling you how to avoid getting caught.
There must be something we can do about that.
No.
Billings will wrap himself up in the First Amendment, and cry freedom of speech.
This is so wrong.
Look, you're All you're saying is the constitution allows someone to publish a blueprint for child rape as long as he calls it art.
Wait a minute.
If we can prove that Billings provided assistance to Tommy Hedges in the rape and murder of Cherie Lathan, then it's facilitation.
So, how do we prove that? I have to make a deal with the Devil.
You give me Billings and I'll take the death penalty off the table.
Not good enough.
He sees light at the end of the tunnel or he doesn't talk.
Fine, murder two, depending on what Tommy has to offer.
When would I get out? Twenty-five years.
All right.
When did you start receiving e-mails from Excel? In January, right after I got out of jail.
They just sent ads for websites at first.
Usually they included samples.
Were you tempted? Yes.
But I didn't give in, not till they sent a preview of The Story of Janet.
It was just a few lines and a photo of this girl dressed like a princess.
It was just so exciting.
So you signed up for the website? Yeah.
And I read the whole story, and I saw the pictures.
And I wanted my body to feel the way it used to.
But because of chemical castration, you couldn't become aroused, right? Yeah.
So the next day I ordered the testosterone.
You can't just come barging in here.
Sure we can.
We're arresting you.
For what? Facilitating the murder of Cherie Lathan.
You're joking.
Does it look like I'm laughing.
Why don't you turn around? You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say, can and will be used against you in a court of law.
You have the right I'm telling you.
This is a tough case.
I could easily lose.
Stanley Billings is the reason this happened.
Maybe.
But the facilitation charge against him is a reach.
And no matter what we do, the defense is going to say we're trying to stifle free speech.
Free speech? Okay.
Free speech, Cherie Lathan's life.
I don't see the contest.
Alex.
Barry.
Hi.
Elliot, I'd like for you to meet my old law professor, Barry Moredock.
How are you? Barry, this is Detective Elliot Stabler.
Detective.
What are you doing here? We're doing business together.
What do you mean? Stanley Billings.
Don't tell me you're representing him.
I see the First Amendment under attack, I leap to its defense.
But I was kind of surprised to see you're the attacker.
Your client's kiddie porn is the reason a 9-year-old girl was murdered.
A convicted sex offender killed that poor girl, Detective.
My client merely exercised his right to free speech.
US v.
Barnett.
Publishing instructions designed to aid another in the commission of a criminal offense is not protected by the First Amendment.
Very good, but all my client published was a work of virtual pornography protected by the Supreme Court itself.
Billings is a sleaze bag who turns women into little girls.
He makes a mockery of the law.
Jurisprudence has to evolve with the technology.
This is gonna be a great fight, Alex.
I'm glad I taught you so well.
You also taught me res ipsa loquitur.
"The thing speaks for itself.
" If it looks like kiddie porn and smells like kiddie porn, it is kiddie porn.
Maybe it's you who should evolve with technology, Alex.
There was no kid in the kiddie porn.
The victim died by asphyxiating on her own vomit.
How did that happen? She couldn't remove her gag because her hands were tied behind her.
The People's exhibit 12.
Dr.
Warner, is this how the victim was tied up at the moment of her death? Yes.
And are these restraints the same as the bondage methods depicted in Excel Entertainment's The Story of Janet, which Tommy Hedges downloaded onto his computer? They're identical.
Body position, placement of ligatures, use of a latex ball-gag, even the multifold, overhand knot tying the ankles.
So, in your professional opinion, Dr.
Warner, did Tommy Hedges copy the website photo? In every detail.
No further questions.
Dr.
Warner, remind me what killed Cherie.
She asphyxiated on her own vomit.
So she wasn't choked by a photograph? No.
She wasn't kidnapped by a story? No.
Or bound and gagged by a website? No.
Thank you.
No further questions.
Mr.
Hedges, why did you kill Cherie Lathan? I never meant to.
Did you mean to rape her? Yes.
Why? Because I couldn't stop thinking about being with a little girl.
You are a convicted sex offender, and you were sentenced to chemical castration to control your sexual urges.
Did it work? Yes, for over two years.
When did those impulses begin again? After I got out of jail, I started receiving e - mails from Cyberloves advertising their child porn stories.
What sort of e-mails? They'd show a photo of a young girl, and they invited me to find out more about her.
So, you signed up? No.
I ignored them, but the e-mails kept coming.
I tried so hard not to look.
Then why did you? Because they kept saying, "She's waiting for you.
"Give her what she really wants.
" It lit a fire in my head.
I couldn't think about anything else.
So, you bought the story? Yes.
The Story of Janet.
And did you copy that story when you tied up and raped Cherie Lathan? Yes.
It told me exactly what to do.
Nothing further.
Mr.
Hedges, you were convicted in Florida in 1999 for the sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl.
Is that correct? Yes.
Did a story make you do that? No.
How about when you abducted and sexually abused a 10-year-old in California in 1995? Another story to blame? No.
What about the very first time you were attracted to young girls? Was that inspired by porn? I don't know.
Or have you simply been attracted to young girls for as long as you can remember? I don't know.
Mr.
Hedges, aren't you desperately trying to blame someone else for your own depravity? They kept sending me e-mails when I was trying to control my feelings.
Yes.
So you've said.
But tell me.
Tommy, did you enjoy kidnapping Cherie? Yes.
During that time, did you have second thoughts about what you were doing? Yes.
You knew it was wrong, but still you raped and killed her.
Yes.
Whose fault is that? Mine.
Thank you.
I have children myself, so the last thing I want is for a child to participate in the making of pornography.
That's why we began Cyberloves.
To make a non-exploitative, legal product for people with youth preferences.
You mean pedophiles.
A small percentage of our clientele might have those predilections.
Then what made Tommy Hedges act on those predilections after viewing your product? I'm afraid I wouldn't know what motivates a murderer.
Do you make any effort at all to suppress the marketing of your virtual porn to sex offenders? We market our product to individuals over 21 who enjoy adult entertainment.
Do you call child rape entertainment? It isn't against the law to explore the dark side of human nature.
Mr.
Billings, would you agree the purpose of pornography is to cause sexual arousal? Yes.
And would you agree that the purpose of violent pornography is to eroticize violence? It can have that effect.
So it would seem logical that the purpose of violent child pornography is to arouse violent sexual feelings towards children.
I don't know the research on child pornography because I don't produce it.
You produce images of child abuse.
I produce virtual pornography that provides a safe release, so the user can satiate his fantasies without abusing anyone.
The truth of the matter is you don't care what your customers do as long as they continue to pay for your porn.
Objection.
Nothing further.
The defense rests, Your Honor.
Counsel approach.
Mr.
Billings, you may sit down.
Ms.
Cabot is nowhere near meeting the burden of proof, Your Honor.
Even if the jury convicts for emotional reasons, I'll ask the court to follow the law and render a not guilty judgment.
I agree with Mr.
Moredock.
Unless you can prove the defendant had prior knowledge that Mr.
Hedges was likely to commit a crime, I'll have to dismiss this case with prejudice.
You've got until tomorrow.
We're in recess.
Tough day? Yeah.
If I don't find a smoking gun, I'm screwed.
We've been looking, Alex, we can't find what isn't there.
Billings is a businessman.
He would do anything to increase his profits.
I don't believe he e-mailed sex offenders by accident.
But if he spammed the Internet, odds are he's gonna find a few freaks.
You want what the lady's having? I'll have ginger ale, thanks.
As the wise man said, I can resist everything except temptation.
What did I say? Hedges said he tried to resist.
I wonder just how much he was tempted.
How many times did Excel e - mail you advertisements for their porn? I don't know.
Think, Tommy, how many? I don't know.
Maybe 50 or 60.
But you only opened one? Yeah.
Okay, what did you do with the other ones? I deleted them.
Did you ever ask Excel to stop e-mailing you? Yeah, I did.
I started selecting the opt out option.
"Opt out"? What's that? It sends an e-mail back to the company telling them to take you off their mailing list, but it didn't work.
The e-mails kept coming.
My company employs over 200 people to deal with the thousands who use our website.
You can't expect me to know that one employee accidentally overlooked a client's request.
an accident, it's a policy.
You bombarded a dangerous man with provocative images until he finally gave in.
That's a good try, Alex, but a computerized oversight is a long way from being a smoking gun.
And, in case you've forgotten, aggressive advertising isn't against the law.
Fine.
We'll just see what the jury has to say.
I won't tell you I like what my client does for a living.
I abhor it.
But I will defend his right to publish pornography because the protection of free speech is vital to our constitution.
The People have made a great deal out of a handful of automated e-mail opt outs Mr.
Hedges sent to Excel Entertainment.
But has she shown one shred of proof that my client had any knowledge of these messages? No, she has not.
Stanley Billings published a story, a work of the imagination, a work which the Supreme Court has ruled is perfectly legal.
Mr.
Billings did not know Mr.
Hedges.
He did not know what Mr.
Hedges might do.
Therefore, he cannot be held responsible for what Mr.
Hedges did.
The law holds my client innocent.
So must you.
Thank you.
There is no doubt that Tommy Hedges killed Cherie Lathan, but Stanley Billings played a part in her death also.
Now each of you knows that he is morally guilty.
The question you have to ask yourselves is if he is legally guilty as well.
And the answer is yes.
Stanley Billings put a deadly weapon in Tommy Hedges' hands, and Tommy Hedges asked him to stop.
Not once, not a handful of times, but 21 times.
And 21 times, Stanley Billings ignored him.
Now as chief executive officer of Excel Entertainment, he is responsible for his company's actions and his company's inaction.
And when Hedges finally succumbed to Billings' hard-sell tactics, Billings sold him instructions on how to stalk, kidnap and rape a child.
That makes Stanley Billings an accomplice to rape, and it makes him a facilitator of murder.
Has the jury reached a verdict? We have, Your Honor.
We find the defendant, Stanley Billings, guilty of facilitation in the murder of Cherie Lathan.
They can't be serious.
I didn't do anything.
Okay, Stanley.
Take it easy.
Okay, but I'm innocent.
It's okay.
Here she is now.
Alex.
Congratulations.
You're happy? Why not? I'll get the conviction overturned on appeal.
Enjoy it while you can.
You got the bad guy, and you didn't stomp on the constitution.
I couldn't have taught you better myself.
Yeah, well, thousands of people are still legally viewing virtual child porn, so maybe the constitution could use some stomping.
Thousands of people are protesting the war and burning flags, you want to stomp on them, too? Where would it all end, Alex? Don't be upset.
In this case, everybody won.
Not Cherie Lathan.
In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit.
These are their stories.
Everyone stay with your partners and sit in front.
Mrs.
MacNamara, Caleb's not sitting in the front.
Yes, Stacey, I can see.
We need to be let off at the Natural History Museum.
I stop at Mrs.
MacNamara, someone's left their suitcase.
It's pretty heavy.
Don't touch it, Caleb.
I want everyone off this bus right now.
Why? Why? We cleared 250 feet in every direction.
It's all yours.
Okay.
Gonna take long to set up the X-ray? No, they're good to go.
Could be nothing.
Maybe somebody just forgot their suitcase.
Till it's properly ID'd, I'm not taking any chances.
X- ray should tell us clear enough.
Image is coming up.
Oh, man, it's not a bomb.
Female victim, eight or nine, no ID.
Jammed inside a suitcase which was left on the bus.
Driver remember who brought it on? Nope.
This was his third run.
Could be anyone from Union Square to 147th Street.
Basically all of Manhattan.
Cause of death? I don't know yet.
How long she been in the suitcase? Hard to say.
She has ligature marks on her ankles and wrists.
That and the lividity, she had to be held somewhere else first, tied in the cuffing position, hands behind her back.
She's got French nails.
Nice manicure.
Pedicure, too.
Salon job.
Looks like she got the full treatment.
She's got dark roots.
She's not a natural blonde.
Isn't she a bit young to be made up like a fashion model? Not if she's on the kiddy pageant circuit.
As in JonBenet? Yep.
We got ourselves a dead beauty queen.
Rape kit was positive for fluids, I'm running the DNA.
We know how she died? Afraid so.
I found vomit and fragments of latex in her mouth.
So he ties her up, he rapes her.
She's terrified, throws up, can't remove the gag.
And our perp just watches her die.
I also found a piece of saw grass on the inside of her sweater.
Saw grass? Does that grow around here? No.
It grows almost exclusively in the Florida Everglades.
So, maybe he kidnapped her down there, brought her up here.
Anything to support the beauty pageant theory? You bet.
Obliquely oriented cicatricial contracture along the internal nasal vault.
What the hell is that? A damn good nose job.
Suitcase model was discontinued 10 years ago, but it used to be available nationwide.
Couple of partial prints, but not enough to make a positive ID.
Nobody saw the guy leave it on the bus? Patrol's passing out flyers along the bus route.
Nothing yet, except some old lady said she saw Osama bin Laden.
And the victim? No missing kid reports in Florida or the tri-state area in the last 24 hours.
Any hits on beauty contests? I faxed the victim's photo to the Little Miss Angel Pageant in Westchester.
They checked it against finalists for the last two years, no matches.
Well, to make the nationals, you must have to compete locally.
Any recent contests in the area? Actually, in the last two months, one in Queens, one in Greenwich, and one coming up in Garden City.
I wonder how many of these Little Miss Angels get nose jobs when they're nine.
Olivia, you and Elliot talk to the nip and tuck brigade.
John, what do you say, you and me check out the kiddie pageant scene? Girls, practice your entrances.
Six steps, stop, smile and twirl.
Step, stop, smile and twirl.
New York City Police.
We need a word.
Parents actually pay you to inflict this on their kids? Yes.
The young ladies find it very character forming.
I have taught literally hundreds of aspiring Little Angels.
You teach this one? Oh, my God! What happened? Her body was found this morning.
We think she might be a contestant.
Not in any recent competitions.
But I do keep files of all the hopefuls who don't make the cut.
They're arranged alphabetically.
What? Yeah.
So, can anybody get in to see the pageants? Oh, no, we are very strict about checking people's door badges.
How hard is it to get a badge? $25.
That was Olivia.
Nassau cops put out a missing kid alert about an hour ago.
Girl's name is Cherie Lathan, lives in Valley Stream.
Olivia and Elliot are on their way to talk to the parents.
Bingo, I got a match on the victim.
Mr.
Lathan, how long has Cherie been competing? About four years.
After one of her friends entered the Little Miss Angel Pageant, Cherie wanted to do it, too.
And when was her last pageant? Three months ago, right before she had an operation.
Plastic surgery.
You're never gonna have that edge, if you don't go for it.
It's what Cherie wanted.
It's what you wanted.
Why did it take you so long to report your daughter missing? Last night she slept over at her friend Amy Prescott's house, and this morning she was supposed to go right to school.
That's where I thought she was.
When was the last time you saw Cherie? Yesterday afternoon, when he took her to get new headshots.
And then I dropped her off at Amy's.
We'll need Amy's address.
Have you been to Florida recently? We took Cherie to Disney World at Christmas.
We're going to need a DNA sample, Mr.
Lathan.
It's standard procedure.
I know what you're thinking, but I'd never hurt Cherie.
I worshipped her.
Did Cherie spend the night here last night, Mrs.
Prescott? Yes.
And did she go to school this morning with Amy? Amy came down with the flu, so Cherie went on her own.
I offered to give her a ride to the bus stop, but she said she'd walk.
How far away is the bus stop? Four blocks.
I should have insisted on driving her, but I didn't want to leave Amy.
I'm sorry.
Amy, did Cherie ever mention anyone bothering her? Kind of.
Yeah? Who's that? There's this creepy guy in tenth grade.
What's his name? Kevin.
I don't know his last name.
What sorts of things did Kevin do? He used to come up to us and tell Cherie that she looked really hot.
You know, like he meant it.
Mmm-hmm.
He ever follow you guys around? Sometimes.
And he'd hang around at gymnastics practice and just stare at us.
Kevin's an enterprising young man.
He posts his stories for the world to read on his own website.
Listen to this.
"9-year-old flesh is like fruit from the tree, firm but sweet.
"What I would do to take a bite out of Cherie.
" It's downhill from there.
School have anything to say about him? Guidance counselor said he recently persuaded a sixth grader to pose in a bikini.
He said it was for an art project.
This creep is 15.
You tell me that's not predatory behavior.
Well, he looks good for it.
Especially since the DNA on Cherie's father came back clean.
He still turned his daughter into a sex object.
Made her ripe for Kevin's picking.
That must be Kevin and his dad.
Talk to them.
Where were you this morning, Kevin? School marked you absent.
You were ditching? I was walking around.
It helps me think.
That's not much of an alibi.
I don't need an alibi.
I would never touch Cherie.
You hurt her pretty bad in your little stories.
"She tried to escape, but I was too strong.
"I held her down and licked her tears away.
" Look, they're just stories, all right.
Creative expression.
The minute you censor them, you're just like a Nazi.
Cherie was raped and murdered.
I don't want to hear about your damn stories.
Look, I make stuff up, I don't do it.
Then give us a DNA sample.
No.
You can't violate my civil liberties just because I've got a good imagination.
He'll give you a sample.
You can't force me.
Sure he can.
Parental consent is all we need till you're 16.
This isn't fair.
You fascists lay one finger on me, I will sue.
Sit down, you little prick.
Will this do? Sorry, no match.
It's not Kevin.
Maybe not this time, just give him a couple of years.
So, we've got nothing.
Not exactly.
Blood traces in the perp's ejaculate gave us something interesting.
High levels of progesterone.
Well, that's a female hormone.
Most often given to high school girls to prevent pregnancy.
So, why's our perp taking that? To block testosterone production.
He could be using it to treat advanced prostatic cancer, or he's undergoing male-to-female gender reassignment.
And it's given to sex offenders to reduce sex drive.
But synthetic testosterone isn't.
I also found traces of that in the blood.
Our guy's trying to reverse the effects of chemical castration.
He raped a girl, I'd say he succeeded.
And I bet that freak won't stop at one.
New York doesn't chemically castrate sex offenders.
We got nine states that do, Georgia being the closest one to us.
What about voluntary castration? Technically you can self-inject, but we're doubting our guy did.
I mean, otherwise what's he doing taking testosterone? He's done his homework.
The effects of Depo-Provera can be blocked within a week by using testosterone supplements.
So this guy traded in his breasts for a sex drive.
Does that fit the crime scene profile? Absolutely.
Beauty pageants offer the killer the perfect victim.
Sexualized children who are both innocent and provocative.
Elaborate bondage shows that he fantasized about this for a long time before he dared even act on it.
Get a list of castratees from the nine states.
Check probation violations, relocations and child-abduction priors.
Prison bureau in Georgia, they send you to the parole board which sends you to the state attorney, who sends you back to the parole board.
Yeah, I got the same run around in Oregon, Texas and Louisiana.
Chemical castration hasn't been legal long enough for there to be a centralized database.
Look, there's got to be a way for us to narrow this down.
All right, Florida is one of our states.
We've been thinking that Cherie got that saw grass on her when she took that trip to Orlando.
But the ME says that saw grass grows exclusively in the Everglades.
That's south of there.
Our perp undresses Cherie, he transfers the saw grass from his clothes to hers? Okay, maybe.
Now, what do we know about these three upright citizens in Florida? Well, one died in a car crash, and the parole officers for the other two say they're squeaky clean.
Squeaky-clean sex offender, yeah, that's a new one.
Rob Canotti from Milwaukee started chemical castration treatments four years ago.
Had a supervised relocation to Jersey City.
Well, maybe, he made an unsupervised trip to Florida.
What was Canotti charged with? He kidnapped a girl from a beauty pageant.
He tried to assault her in his car.
The girl escaped.
She was 10.
Rob Canotti? New York Police in Jersey City.
Has a child been attacked? Why would you ask us that question? Why else are you here? To talk about kiddie beauty pageants.
We hear they turn you on.
If I denied it, you'd call me a liar.
You ever see a little girl named Cherie Lathan compete? Not that I recall, but it's hard to keep track of so many little lovelies.
Where were you last night? At home watching Nickelodeon.
Can anyone vouch for that? I live alone.
Well, then, I think you better come with us.
There's no point.
Benson.
The guy you're looking for probably ejaculated in his victim.
What are you saying? The urges started to come back.
So I had them cut off.
What? My gonads, Detective.
Take a look.
All right, all right.
Put your johnson back in your pants, Canotti.
That was Fin.
Turns out one of our squeaky-clean Florida boys has a mother who lives two towns over from Cherie Lathan.
What's his name? Tommy Hedges.
Munch and Fin are on their way over now.
This was Tommy's room, but I've kept it the same since he was a boy.
He ever visit from Florida, Mrs.
Hedges? No, of course not.
He can't leave the state while he's on probation.
But he knows that his room is here for him when he's done his time.
That's your van in the driveway? It was my late husband's.
Lady like you, living all alone, what do you need a big van for? I'm keeping it for Tommy.
Mind if we take a look inside? I haven't driven it in over a year.
I don't even know where the keys are.
Tommy ever talk to you about his problems? They're in the past.
I mean, he feels terrible about what he did, but he's changed.
How? He's on medication, and he's found a job in Florida.
He's determined to start a new life.
That's awfully clean for a van that hasn't been driven in a year.
I say we haul Mom in for questioning.
I don't like sweating old ladies.
It offends my sense of decorum.
Oh, you'd rather be looking through garbage? Cop's gotta do what he's gotta do.
"Mundialfarmacia.
Com, laboratorios de Mexico.
" Liquid testosterone.
Hey, get away from there! That's private property.
You can't just go on looking through that.
It's on the street, we can look all we want.
Tommy's been coming home, hasn't he? I don't know what you're talking about.
Well, that's his name and last week's date.
We need to see him.
Look, you have to understand, Tommy really is better.
He found a job at an advertising agency in New York.
He works Monday through Thursday's, and then he flies down to Miami to get his injection.
He's cured.
Tommy Hedges? Police.
We need you to come with us.
What for? Parole violation.
Oh, look, I can explain that.
My parole officer knows I'm here.
No, he doesn't.
Let's go.
Sure, no problem.
You don't mind if we take this? I looked for a job in Florida, but no one would give me a chance because of my record.
So I came back home.
The last thing I wanted to do was fly up each week, but I was desperate.
That's a sad story, Tommy.
I'm not asking for pity, but everyone thinks sex offender registration is this great idea.
It's not.
It's hell, especially for those of us who are trying to make a new start.
Look, I know I've broken parole, but I'm taking my shots.
What does your parole officer think you're doing? Telemarketing from home.
He never does a curfew check.
I fly back to Miami every Friday, and meet him and get my shot.
So what are you doing with testosterone, huh? That for jet lag? I want to live a normal life.
Be in a normal relationship.
What woman wants a guy who can't perform? Does Cherie Lathan count as a woman? I don't know who she is.
It's the 9-year-old you raped and killed.
No.
This is a mistake.
Well, okay.
Well, Tommy, if that's the truth, then we're gonna be the first ones to apologize to you.
We got plenty of ways to check it out.
Which flight you took from Florida, Friday night, after you met with your parole officer.
Whether there's any trace evidence of Cherie Lathan in your daddy's old van.
Whether your DNA matches the fluids found in the girl.
Some of that'll take time, but since you're going back to prison for parole violation for at least 10 years, I guess you're not in any hurry.
Tommy.
What happened? Just tell us.
You'll feel better, I promise you.
What's the matter? I'd noticed her before, with the other girls, just walking around.
She stood out like a little princess.
I offered her a ride.
I just wanted to talk to her.
She was so sweet and lovely.
Where did you do it, Tommy? In the van.
She was crying afterwards.
She was saying she would tell, and I had to keep her quiet.
And she wouldn't stop crying.
I had to stop her.
So you gagged her.
Yeah.
And then I left to get some air, and when I came back, she wasn't moving.
I didn't mean to hurt her.
Tommy, have you hurt any others, other than Cherie? No.
I thought I could control my feelings until I read that story.
What story? On the Internet.
This It had pictures and words and everything.
It stuck in my head.
Lab's got something you should see.
In all, he's got about His parole officer probably missed, they were hidden by the S-Tools software.
S- Tools? Yeah.
"S" is short for steganography.
Oh.
From the Greek, meaning "hidden writing.
" Mainly used by spies to send concealed messages.
So Hedges downloads the child porn and disguises it with this stegosaurus stuff.
The porn can be hidden in a photo of a sunset, anything at all.
Hedges simply uses the S-Tools to download and decode it.
So how'd you find it? I went onto his hard drive and used his own software.
This is what I thought you should see.
"The Story of Janet.
" Basically, it's a how to on stalking, abducting and raping little girls, with accompanying photos.
Wait a minute, she's tied up the same way, and in the same position, as Cherie Lathan.
The bastard downloaded the photos, and copied exactly what he saw.
Just because porn inspired Tommy Hedges to murder doesn't diminish his culpability.
Hedges deserves everything that's coming to him, but whoever produced these is guilty, too.
Of producing and distributing child pornography, not murder.
Look, Hedges copied exactly what he saw.
These photos are as dangerous as putting a loaded weapon in the hands of a violent criminal.
I'm not saying child pornography isn't repugnant, but you would have a hard time convincing a jury that a murderer and a pornographer are equally guilty.
Doc, what do you think? A Canadian study found that 90º/º of child sex abusers used hardcore pornography.
Well, did it make them all go out and commit murder? Pornography desensitizes.
Repeated viewing can condition arousal, so that the viewer seeks out more violent, more degrading images.
It can also increase the tendency to act out some of the activities that are portrayed.
So the murderer has no choice in the matter? I don't buy it.
No, that's not what I'm saying.
Hedges already molested children.
So he was highly susceptible to these images.
You view it, you fantasize about it, you do it.
I agree with Elliot.
Cherie Lathan might still be alive if Hedges hadn't seen these pictures.
I can't indict pictures.
You can indict the producers and the distributors.
They could be anywhere in the world.
Crime lab found the website through Hedges' laptop.
With the help of ARIN registry, we got the address.
Cyberloves Incorporated in Queens.
Bust them.
NYPD! Everyone stay where you are.
Officers, what can I do for you? Get out of my way.
Excuse me, this is private property.
Yeah, and there's your warrant.
You all right? What's your problem? What's my problem? How old are you? Nineteen.
Let me see some ID.
What's my problem? You always carry around a birth certificate with you? Yeah, 'cause I'm sick of getting harassed by cops when I'm modeling.
Modeling, right.
It says she's 19.
Let's check that out.
This picture was found on your company's website.
You know who she is? No.
She look 19 to you? No idea.
Who do you work for? Cyberloves.
I'm not breaking any law.
Sweetheart, a 9-year-old girl was murdered, just like the girl in this photo, and it was posted on Cyberloves' website by the dirt bag that you're working for.
Who runs this operation? Who signs your paycheck? Excel Entertainment.
Stanley Billings.
No girl working for Excel Entertainment is underage.
That's the company policy, and it is strictly enforced.
Now, Mr.
Billings, does your website, cyberloves.
Net, sell The Story of Janet? Yes.
And on a Tanner scale, she scores pretty low.
Tanner scale? I don't know what that is.
It's a body development chart.
One being prepubescent, Now, Janet is a two.
Some girls develop slowly.
Don't hand me that crap.
My 10-year-old daughter looks more mature than that.
I told you, we have a company rule, no underage models.
Why would I risk my business? Happy pedophiles spend more money.
You ever heard of virtual pornography? That girl is 18.
Legal age.
We only help her look younger.
And how's that? With youth enhancement software.
The people that get off on this don't think she's 18.
But she is, and looking at that is not a crime.
Thousands of men and women enjoy the services of Excel Entertainment.
Virtual pornography is actually therapeutic, it provides for men a cathartic release, and it still protects the real kids.
Not all of them.
Somebody went out and copied your images, and a real 9-year-old child wound up dead.
Then I'm truly sorry, but I still haven't broken the law.
The Story of Janet is a murder manual.
Your pornography is responsible for the death of an innocent child.
Read the Supreme Court ruling.
"The mere tendency of speech, "to encourage unlawful acts is not a sufficient reason for banning it.
" The scary thing is, the girl in the picture probably is 18.
You're telling me photo touch-ups can make her look 10? Yeah, Billings takes the digital software used to age up the missing photos of kids on milk cartons, but uses it in reverse to age them down.
Look.
I took a photo of you, Olivia, and broke it down into its thousands of digital parts.
Once the parts are isolated, you can morph them in whatever way you want.
Oh, my God.
Yeah, the good news is that a trained eye can usually tell when it's fake.
What's the bad news? In the field of image manipulation, the porn industry leads the way.
Are you telling me these sick bastards can make virtual kiddie porn and not break the law? I'm afraid so.
Excel Entertainment is skirting the letter of the law by exploiting the fantasies of pedophiles.
It's reprehensible, and it's perfectly legal.
Can't Excel be required to safeguard their website from vulnerable viewers? They already do.
You have to be 18 or older to log on.
What about The Story of Janet? They're sending out sadistic pictures along with instructions on how to abduct and rape little girls.
Then they top it off by telling you how to avoid getting caught.
There must be something we can do about that.
No.
Billings will wrap himself up in the First Amendment, and cry freedom of speech.
This is so wrong.
Look, you're All you're saying is the constitution allows someone to publish a blueprint for child rape as long as he calls it art.
Wait a minute.
If we can prove that Billings provided assistance to Tommy Hedges in the rape and murder of Cherie Lathan, then it's facilitation.
So, how do we prove that? I have to make a deal with the Devil.
You give me Billings and I'll take the death penalty off the table.
Not good enough.
He sees light at the end of the tunnel or he doesn't talk.
Fine, murder two, depending on what Tommy has to offer.
When would I get out? Twenty-five years.
All right.
When did you start receiving e-mails from Excel? In January, right after I got out of jail.
They just sent ads for websites at first.
Usually they included samples.
Were you tempted? Yes.
But I didn't give in, not till they sent a preview of The Story of Janet.
It was just a few lines and a photo of this girl dressed like a princess.
It was just so exciting.
So you signed up for the website? Yeah.
And I read the whole story, and I saw the pictures.
And I wanted my body to feel the way it used to.
But because of chemical castration, you couldn't become aroused, right? Yeah.
So the next day I ordered the testosterone.
You can't just come barging in here.
Sure we can.
We're arresting you.
For what? Facilitating the murder of Cherie Lathan.
You're joking.
Does it look like I'm laughing.
Why don't you turn around? You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say, can and will be used against you in a court of law.
You have the right I'm telling you.
This is a tough case.
I could easily lose.
Stanley Billings is the reason this happened.
Maybe.
But the facilitation charge against him is a reach.
And no matter what we do, the defense is going to say we're trying to stifle free speech.
Free speech? Okay.
Free speech, Cherie Lathan's life.
I don't see the contest.
Alex.
Barry.
Hi.
Elliot, I'd like for you to meet my old law professor, Barry Moredock.
How are you? Barry, this is Detective Elliot Stabler.
Detective.
What are you doing here? We're doing business together.
What do you mean? Stanley Billings.
Don't tell me you're representing him.
I see the First Amendment under attack, I leap to its defense.
But I was kind of surprised to see you're the attacker.
Your client's kiddie porn is the reason a 9-year-old girl was murdered.
A convicted sex offender killed that poor girl, Detective.
My client merely exercised his right to free speech.
US v.
Barnett.
Publishing instructions designed to aid another in the commission of a criminal offense is not protected by the First Amendment.
Very good, but all my client published was a work of virtual pornography protected by the Supreme Court itself.
Billings is a sleaze bag who turns women into little girls.
He makes a mockery of the law.
Jurisprudence has to evolve with the technology.
This is gonna be a great fight, Alex.
I'm glad I taught you so well.
You also taught me res ipsa loquitur.
"The thing speaks for itself.
" If it looks like kiddie porn and smells like kiddie porn, it is kiddie porn.
Maybe it's you who should evolve with technology, Alex.
There was no kid in the kiddie porn.
The victim died by asphyxiating on her own vomit.
How did that happen? She couldn't remove her gag because her hands were tied behind her.
The People's exhibit 12.
Dr.
Warner, is this how the victim was tied up at the moment of her death? Yes.
And are these restraints the same as the bondage methods depicted in Excel Entertainment's The Story of Janet, which Tommy Hedges downloaded onto his computer? They're identical.
Body position, placement of ligatures, use of a latex ball-gag, even the multifold, overhand knot tying the ankles.
So, in your professional opinion, Dr.
Warner, did Tommy Hedges copy the website photo? In every detail.
No further questions.
Dr.
Warner, remind me what killed Cherie.
She asphyxiated on her own vomit.
So she wasn't choked by a photograph? No.
She wasn't kidnapped by a story? No.
Or bound and gagged by a website? No.
Thank you.
No further questions.
Mr.
Hedges, why did you kill Cherie Lathan? I never meant to.
Did you mean to rape her? Yes.
Why? Because I couldn't stop thinking about being with a little girl.
You are a convicted sex offender, and you were sentenced to chemical castration to control your sexual urges.
Did it work? Yes, for over two years.
When did those impulses begin again? After I got out of jail, I started receiving e - mails from Cyberloves advertising their child porn stories.
What sort of e-mails? They'd show a photo of a young girl, and they invited me to find out more about her.
So, you signed up? No.
I ignored them, but the e-mails kept coming.
I tried so hard not to look.
Then why did you? Because they kept saying, "She's waiting for you.
"Give her what she really wants.
" It lit a fire in my head.
I couldn't think about anything else.
So, you bought the story? Yes.
The Story of Janet.
And did you copy that story when you tied up and raped Cherie Lathan? Yes.
It told me exactly what to do.
Nothing further.
Mr.
Hedges, you were convicted in Florida in 1999 for the sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl.
Is that correct? Yes.
Did a story make you do that? No.
How about when you abducted and sexually abused a 10-year-old in California in 1995? Another story to blame? No.
What about the very first time you were attracted to young girls? Was that inspired by porn? I don't know.
Or have you simply been attracted to young girls for as long as you can remember? I don't know.
Mr.
Hedges, aren't you desperately trying to blame someone else for your own depravity? They kept sending me e-mails when I was trying to control my feelings.
Yes.
So you've said.
But tell me.
Tommy, did you enjoy kidnapping Cherie? Yes.
During that time, did you have second thoughts about what you were doing? Yes.
You knew it was wrong, but still you raped and killed her.
Yes.
Whose fault is that? Mine.
Thank you.
I have children myself, so the last thing I want is for a child to participate in the making of pornography.
That's why we began Cyberloves.
To make a non-exploitative, legal product for people with youth preferences.
You mean pedophiles.
A small percentage of our clientele might have those predilections.
Then what made Tommy Hedges act on those predilections after viewing your product? I'm afraid I wouldn't know what motivates a murderer.
Do you make any effort at all to suppress the marketing of your virtual porn to sex offenders? We market our product to individuals over 21 who enjoy adult entertainment.
Do you call child rape entertainment? It isn't against the law to explore the dark side of human nature.
Mr.
Billings, would you agree the purpose of pornography is to cause sexual arousal? Yes.
And would you agree that the purpose of violent pornography is to eroticize violence? It can have that effect.
So it would seem logical that the purpose of violent child pornography is to arouse violent sexual feelings towards children.
I don't know the research on child pornography because I don't produce it.
You produce images of child abuse.
I produce virtual pornography that provides a safe release, so the user can satiate his fantasies without abusing anyone.
The truth of the matter is you don't care what your customers do as long as they continue to pay for your porn.
Objection.
Nothing further.
The defense rests, Your Honor.
Counsel approach.
Mr.
Billings, you may sit down.
Ms.
Cabot is nowhere near meeting the burden of proof, Your Honor.
Even if the jury convicts for emotional reasons, I'll ask the court to follow the law and render a not guilty judgment.
I agree with Mr.
Moredock.
Unless you can prove the defendant had prior knowledge that Mr.
Hedges was likely to commit a crime, I'll have to dismiss this case with prejudice.
You've got until tomorrow.
We're in recess.
Tough day? Yeah.
If I don't find a smoking gun, I'm screwed.
We've been looking, Alex, we can't find what isn't there.
Billings is a businessman.
He would do anything to increase his profits.
I don't believe he e-mailed sex offenders by accident.
But if he spammed the Internet, odds are he's gonna find a few freaks.
You want what the lady's having? I'll have ginger ale, thanks.
As the wise man said, I can resist everything except temptation.
What did I say? Hedges said he tried to resist.
I wonder just how much he was tempted.
How many times did Excel e - mail you advertisements for their porn? I don't know.
Think, Tommy, how many? I don't know.
Maybe 50 or 60.
But you only opened one? Yeah.
Okay, what did you do with the other ones? I deleted them.
Did you ever ask Excel to stop e-mailing you? Yeah, I did.
I started selecting the opt out option.
"Opt out"? What's that? It sends an e-mail back to the company telling them to take you off their mailing list, but it didn't work.
The e-mails kept coming.
My company employs over 200 people to deal with the thousands who use our website.
You can't expect me to know that one employee accidentally overlooked a client's request.
an accident, it's a policy.
You bombarded a dangerous man with provocative images until he finally gave in.
That's a good try, Alex, but a computerized oversight is a long way from being a smoking gun.
And, in case you've forgotten, aggressive advertising isn't against the law.
Fine.
We'll just see what the jury has to say.
I won't tell you I like what my client does for a living.
I abhor it.
But I will defend his right to publish pornography because the protection of free speech is vital to our constitution.
The People have made a great deal out of a handful of automated e-mail opt outs Mr.
Hedges sent to Excel Entertainment.
But has she shown one shred of proof that my client had any knowledge of these messages? No, she has not.
Stanley Billings published a story, a work of the imagination, a work which the Supreme Court has ruled is perfectly legal.
Mr.
Billings did not know Mr.
Hedges.
He did not know what Mr.
Hedges might do.
Therefore, he cannot be held responsible for what Mr.
Hedges did.
The law holds my client innocent.
So must you.
Thank you.
There is no doubt that Tommy Hedges killed Cherie Lathan, but Stanley Billings played a part in her death also.
Now each of you knows that he is morally guilty.
The question you have to ask yourselves is if he is legally guilty as well.
And the answer is yes.
Stanley Billings put a deadly weapon in Tommy Hedges' hands, and Tommy Hedges asked him to stop.
Not once, not a handful of times, but 21 times.
And 21 times, Stanley Billings ignored him.
Now as chief executive officer of Excel Entertainment, he is responsible for his company's actions and his company's inaction.
And when Hedges finally succumbed to Billings' hard-sell tactics, Billings sold him instructions on how to stalk, kidnap and rape a child.
That makes Stanley Billings an accomplice to rape, and it makes him a facilitator of murder.
Has the jury reached a verdict? We have, Your Honor.
We find the defendant, Stanley Billings, guilty of facilitation in the murder of Cherie Lathan.
They can't be serious.
I didn't do anything.
Okay, Stanley.
Take it easy.
Okay, but I'm innocent.
It's okay.
Here she is now.
Alex.
Congratulations.
You're happy? Why not? I'll get the conviction overturned on appeal.
Enjoy it while you can.
You got the bad guy, and you didn't stomp on the constitution.
I couldn't have taught you better myself.
Yeah, well, thousands of people are still legally viewing virtual child porn, so maybe the constitution could use some stomping.
Thousands of people are protesting the war and burning flags, you want to stomp on them, too? Where would it all end, Alex? Don't be upset.
In this case, everybody won.
Not Cherie Lathan.