  |
This article's content is marked as Mature The page contains mature content that may include coarse language, sexual references, and/or graphic violent images which may be disturbing to some. Mature pages are recommended for those who are 18 years of age and older. If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page. |
| “ | Okay, you know, they may have their fake wives and their show-kids and family Christmas cards. You know, buying the "wifey" anniversary presents. When they're with me, their lives... their lives are lies! The lies are over! I am just as much a man as they are! | „ |
| ~ Jeremy Jones cursing his victims. |
Jeremy Jones is the main antagonist of the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Criminal Hatred". He is a gay serial rapist who preys on closeted men.
He was portrayed by Max Carpenter.
Biography[]
Jones is an out-of-work stripper who makes ends meet by prostituting himself to well-to-do, closeted men. He despises his clients for hiding who they are from their friends and families, demeaning them as "frightened little f****ts". He often vents this hatred by attacking, beating, raping and robbing his clients, knowing they will be unable to report him without outing themselves. His husband, Mason Clark, is blissfully unaware of Jones' crimes, and thinks that Jones bought the presents he showers him with, all stolen from his victims, with money he earned as a gigolo for wealthy, older women.
"Criminal Hatred"[]
Jones picks up his latest victim, family man Charles Murphy, at a gay bar in Manhattan, and takes him to a motel. There, he savagely beats and rapes Murphy, takes his wallet and wedding ring, and leaves him hog-tied to the bed. The NYPD's Special Victims Unit, who have been investigating the rapes Jones has been committing, interview Murphy, but he refuses to help the investigation because he is terrified of being outed. Jones, meanwhile, picks up another closeted man, Harry Dunlevy, and brutalizes him so severely that he has a heart attack and dies.
After learning from Murphy that he had seen his rapist before as a stripper, Detectives Fin Tutuola and Amanda Rollins go to the club where Jones used to work and find out his real name. They arrest Jones as he is smoking hashish with Clark from a water pipe he had bought with Murphy's credit card. Murphy identifies Jones as his rapist, while Tutuola and Captain Olivia Benson show Clark gruesome crime scene photos of what his husband did. However, Jones tells his lawyer, Minonna Efron, to represent Clark as well, meaning that he can't testify against him. Assistant District Attorney Rafael Barba comes up with an idea to save the case: He charges Jones with the rapes and the murder by defining them as hate crimes against gay men.
Jones' surviving victims all testify about what he did to them, while Jones loses his temper and reveals his hatred of closeted men when Barba cross-examines him and insinuates that his victims are better than he is. Efron uses Jones' outburst to her client's advantage, however, by arguing that because he specifically hates closeted gay men rather than gay men in general, the assaults do not count as hate crimes. The jury, meanwhile, finds Jones guilty of unlawful imprisonment, but cannot agree to a verdict on the rape and robbery charges, resulting in a mistrial.
Determined to put Jones in prison for Dunlevy's murder, the SVU detectives investigate and discover that he had bought an expensive bracelet for his wife for their anniversary on the day of his murder, but that it had not been found on his person after his death - meaning that Jones stole it, which ties him directly to the crime. They question Clark about the bracelet, which Jones had given him, and make him talk with Dunlevy's widow. Horrified, Clark gives Benson the bracelet, giving her the evidence she needs to arrest Jones for murder. When he discovers that Clark has turned on him, Jones denounces him for his sexuality, and even tries to attack Efron. As Jones is led away, Barba remarks that the person he hates most of all is himself.
Trivia[]
- Jones is inspired by serial killers of gay men Andrew Cunanan, Colin Ireland, and Larry Eyler.
External Links[]
- Jeremy Jones on the Law & Order Wiki
