Bill the Rapist



"If you love your sister so much and you don't want to see her hurt then you'll shut up." -Bill threatening Arnold who was locked in the bedroom and screaming and trying to escape.

Bill (played by Woody Eney) is a serial-kidnapper-rapist and the main antagonist in the two-part episodes "The Hitchhikers" of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes.

Biography
Kimberly and Arnold went downtown to pick up a birthday present for their father. They ran out of money and it was hard to get a cab on a cold day in New York, so they ignored their father's request of never hitchhiking and decide to hitchhike for a ride. When a car stopped, Bill was being a good Samaritan and willing to give them a ride home. When Bill saw Arnold's model rocket he purchased, he tells them that he is a commercial artist and does designs for an aerospace company. So Bill invites Kimberly and Arnold to his apartment to watch rocket launching videos. While Arnold was watching the video in the bedroom, Bill locked the door and decided to have his way with Kimberly. He wanted to draw a sketch of her so that she can take it home to their father as a present. When Kimberly was refusing and saying it wasn't necessary Bill got angry and demanded her to sit down so he can force her to stay and he can finish the drawing. When the video was over, Arnold realized the door was locked and constantly pounded on the door demanding Bill to open the door and at that point he realized Kimberly was in trouble. To stop Arnold, Bill told Kimberly to say that everything is all right. In order to quiet Arnold down, Bill locks Kimberly in the closet and Arnold tries to escape from the window which was stuck. Then Bill threatens Arnold and ties tape around his arms and legs and Arnold told Bill he will call the police when they get out of there and Bill tapes Arnold's mouth shut. Bill then had Kimberly see how Arnold is doing and says that he tied him up in order to keep him quiet. Bill continues to force Kimberly to have a "date" with him, dancing and eating food he provided. He holds Kimberly too close while dancing and won't let her call her father. When Kimberly was being nice Bill pushes her thinking that she's trying to trick him again. Arnold eventually gets all of the tape off him and breaks the window with a dumbbell and then Bill and Kimberly hear a noise when Arnold drops the dumbbell. They realize that Arnold escape and Kimberly tells Bill and then will arrest him, and Bill says maybe but they will be too late. After Arnold escapes he finds a cop to try to rescue his sister but he was too paranoid and rushed that he forgot where Bill's apartment was. Then Arnold arrives home and the police tell Mr. Drummond about Kimberly's situation and does hypnosis to remind Arnold of the license plate number of Bill's car in order to rescue Kimberly. Mr. Drummond, Arnold, and the police arrive in Bill's apartment and his landlady told them that Bill does photography and uses an old storage room as a dark room. That room is where Bill took Kimberly and with a bed in that room he tries to make his move. Eventually the police and Mr. Drummond pound on the door distracting Bill from his move and Kimberly grabs a bottle of chemicals pouring it on Bill's eyes and opening the door with the police arresting Bill and Kimberly crying in her father's arms. The family then convinces Kimberly to press charges at the police station the next day but she never wants to see his face again. Then Maggie tells Kimberly that Bill has attempted rape to other women before and if she goes and presses charges then he will be locked up in prison otherwise if she doesn't then they will release him. So Kimberly decides to press charges.

At the beginning of both episodes Conrad Bain (actor who played Mr. Drummond) delivers a message about the episode of being the dangers of hitchhiking for parents and children and to have children watch it with a parent since some of the material presented may be disturbing for them. At the end of the final episode Conrad Bain makes a PSA saying, "If you know of a case of sexual assault or an attempted sexual assault, please contact your local law enforcement agency or emergency medical facility."