How SVU's A.D.A. Carisi Turned Off the Courtroom Lights to Prove a Rapist Was Lying

The case involved the recently-widowed Zoe (Eden Malyn) and her long-time best friend Jenna Scott (Tory Trowbridge).

Zoe had briefly moved in with Jenna and her husband Richard Scott (Charles Warburton) following the death of her husband and the birth of the Scotts' son. As Zoe healed, her friend encouraged her to get on a dating app, and the young widow connected with a Swedish man who went by Klaus and expressed an interested in BDSM. 

Despite Jenna's warnings, Zoe went to a hotel meet Klaus for the first time with a set of specific instructions: The lights needed to be off, she needed to blindfold herself, and she wasn't allowed to touch Klaus once he arrived.

RELATED: Where to Watch and Stream Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

The following day, the friends went to the SVU to report that Klaus had assaulted Zoe: She'd said their pre-established safe word in the middle of what turned out to be an awkward encounter, but Klaus still penetrated her and ejaculated, leaving immediately after.

The squad learned that there was no Klaus: his profile was simply a catfish. After the rape kit came back, the detectives learned that the DNA from the assault was a familial match to Zoe's deceased husband.

The squad questioned the 23-year-old nephew of Jenna's dead husband, who provided a steel-tight alibi but also revealed that he was a heavily requested sperm donor. 

Benson then invited Zoe back to the precinct to go over the night of the assault, during which Klaus sent his victim a direct message explaining that he was leaving the country and wanted to see her one last time. 

The squad decided to set up a sting with Zoe's cooperation and, once a masked Klaus entered the room, Benson's unit moved in. 

After tearing off Klaus' mask with Scooby-Doo-like panache, the squad discovered that "Klaus" was Jenna.

During questioning, Jenna claimed that she was only trying to help Zoe get over the death of her husband, but that the longer she had pretended to be Klaus, the harder it felt to end the charade. Ultimately, Jenna said, she decided to use the Klaus persona to give Zoe something she'd always wanted: a baby with some of her late husband's DNA. She then obtained the nephew's sperm and set up the BDSM situation in order to impregnate Zoe.

Ultimately, Carisi couldn't charge Jenna with rape because she had used her fingers, but she was charged with aggravated sexual abuse and sexual abuse three.

He offered her a plea deal, given the unusual details of the case, but Jenna opted for a trial.

RELATED: Here's When Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Premieres

When Zoe took the stand, Jenna's defense attorney revealed that the two women had several sexual encounters in college and attempted to establish an ongoing consensual sexual relationship.

Carisi pointed out that, regardless of any history, Zoe didn't consent to the assault. But Jenna's attorney introduced text messages from Zoe raving about how sexually satisfied she was with the texts with "Klaus."

Jenna took the stand in her own defense and claimed that Zoe had known she was pretending to be Klaus the entire time, revealing that the safe word selected for the encounter was "Athena," a reference to the former roommates' college dorm, Athena Hall. When asked whether Zoe used the safe word during the encounter, Jenna claimed that she hadn't heard it.

Jenna's defense argued that after years of friendship — which would have involved hundreds of hugs in addition to their earlier sexual encounters — Zoe would have clearly recognized Jenna as the person in the hotel room with her. 

RELATED: See Mariska Hargitay's Photo Debut with (Most) of SVU's New Season 26 Cast

When Carisi cross examined Jenna, he asked her why she initiated a sexual encounter and tried to impregnate Zoe as "Klaus," but the defendant reiterated that it was a game the two had played together.

"Like I said, Zoe knew it was me," Jenna reaffirmed.

"Right, even though she couldn't see your face, she was blindfolded, and it was dark?" Carisi clarified.

"Yes," Jenna said.

"I'd like to put that to the test," Carisi announced, asking the bailiff to turn off all of the lights and demonstrating that Jenna couldn't see much.

"Excuse me, would you come with me, please?" Carisi then asked an unknown person in the courtroom, guiding them to the stand. Carisi asked from the dark, "Who is this person standing before you right now?"

After a moment of silence, Jenna nervously guessed that it was Zoe. The judge then ended Carisi's demonstration, turning the lights back on. Instead of Zoe, Jenna's husband was standing before her — having just learned she'd cheated on him with her best friend.

"You've been married to this man for 10 years and could not recognize him in the dark," Carisi said. "How could you possibly expect Zoe to recognize you?"

Jenna was found not guilty of aggravated sexual assault but was found guilty of sexual abuse in the third degree, a misdemeanor. She would face up to a year in jail, though Zoe suggested she prefer her one-time friend be offered probation.