Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Episode 10.01 Trials

The SVU's new ADA, Kim Greylek, shows up on her first day of work and finds the unit pretty oblivious to her presence. Benson is too busy with trying to comprehend a call she just received about a stolen van and a seven-year-old driver behind the wheel. The boy claims he stole the van to escape his abusive foster parents.

Stabler and Benson arrive at the hospital to interview the young boy, who makes them promise to not take him back to his foster parents. Meanwhile, Noah and Gwen are back with Cragen, trying to find the whereabouts of their foster child. They immediately become defensive when the detectives try to split the couple up for questioning.

After learning Christopher is a pathological liar, Benson and Stabler take him back to the unit. Christopher then starts telling the detectives that when Noah goes to work, Gwen takes him to the Lydia Hotel and makes him get naked for other people. This prompts Fin and Stabler to check out the run-down hourly hotel.

Fin accompanies Stabler to the Lydia Hotel to find out more about Christopher's story. They discover that the hotel houses illegal medical trials for people desperate for money. The detectives now understand why Christopher was so scared to go home; his mom was turning him into a human pincushion for extra cash.

Benson is throwing herself into Christopher's case, until the boy is released back to his foster parents' care. Cragen orders her to go home and get some rest. Before she leaves, she pauses and has horrifying flashbacks of almost being raped while undercover in the women's prison during her last assignment.

Benson finds out that Christopher's birth mother, Caitlyn Ryan, is a victim in a rape case she investigated years ago. Benson pays a visit to Caitlyn in her apartment. Caitlyn tries to make up excuses to not talk, but lets Benson in when she hears it's regarding her son. Benson notices that Caitlyn is feeling the effects of the rape emotionally and still holds a grudge about Benson not finding the rapist.

Benson asks Caitlyn why she gave up on Christopher after the rape. Caitlyn explains that her son was only five when it happened, and she realized afterwards that she could no longer function or take care of him. Benson begins to relate to Caitlyn after she describes the series of events that followed her attack, including just wanting to shut the world out.

Caitlyn tells Benson she gave Christopher away to Noah and Gwen after meeting Gwen in a rape survivor therapy group. Benson later confronts Noah about the connection. He didn't think it was any of the police's business. Later, Benson talks to Christopher and discovers that he was present when his mother was raped. Caitlyn had lied to Benson about Christopher not being home on the night of the attack.

Caitlyn's case now fit the profile of a serial rapist who had been terrorizing New York by attacking single moms. Caitlyn's place was next to a bar that just happened to employ one of the earlier suspects in the rapes. Fin and Munch confront the bartender at work and he still denies everything. The only thing the bartender is guilty of is being crass with women, but defends himself against the rape accusations.

Benson and Stabler are still trying to find out the connection between the victims, besides the fact they were all single moms. Two of the victims, Caitlyn being one of them, had signed up for a dating service and were stood up by their date. Stabler and Benson went to interview another victim at her clothing store. She claims that she never signed up for an online dating service. But Stabler points out that the woman's store carries clothes by The Green Line, Noah's clothing company.

Stabler and Benson are sure they have their man and bring Noah into the unit for questioning. Noah denies everything as Benson and Stabler try to anger him by mentioning the fact that his mother ran out on him as a child. Noah remains cool and Stabler is pretty sure they can nail him in a voice lineup.

Caitlyn points out Noah's voice in a lineup as the man who raped her. The problem is, two of the other victims have identified a different voice. Caitlyn runs into Noah, Gwen and Christopher leaving the station and tries to hug Noah, but Gwen lunges after her. She holds back, but tells Caitlyn she's to blame for Christopher being so messed up, and accuses Caitlyn of trying to ruin her life by accusing Noah of rape.

Stabler is having a hard time concentrating all day because his credit card has been stolen earlier and major charges have been racked up on them. He gets a break in the case when the card is used to pay for a couple's matching tattoo set. Later on, his oldest daughter comes to the station accusing Stabler of arresting her boyfriend for credit card thievery. Stabler is shocked to learn about his daughter's latest rebellious behavior.

Benson is trying to find the fourth rape victim and learns the woman killed herself shortly after the attack. Benson can't help but feel guilty and Stabler assures her it isn't her fault. DNA links Noah to Gwen's rape case. Gwen is shocked to hear of Noah's arrest. Noah then tells Gwen to recant her rape story and everything becomes clear to her. She cannot believe she married her own rapist and knees a handcuffed Noah in the groin.

Benson realizes her attack has left her with some serious emotional scars and begins to see a therapist to discuss them. Benson feels guilty for having these feelings of fear and she points out that she wasn't even raped. Her therapist tries to calm her down and tells Benson she was still a victim of sexual assault and she should stop blaming herself. Benson realizes she needs to concentrate on healing.