The return of a notorious criminal will unsettle the steady resolve of Lt. Benson (Mariska Hargitay) in the upcoming episode of the NBC series "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."

In "Depravity Standard," Cartermatt reports that a plea deal for the trial of child abductor Lewis Hodda (returning guest star Tom Sizemore) will be rejected. This will force the Special Victims Unit (SVU) to look for other means to take him down. For Benson, this is a personal case, as she knows well how dangerous Hodda is. If they will not be able to get him behind bars for good this time, they will be sending out a ticking time bomb to the world.

To ensure that justice will be served once and for all, Barba (Raúl Esparza) will have to rely on evidence from years ago. To his surprise, he will be facing a familiar face in the courtroom. Dr. Huang (guest star BD Wong), a former SVU teammate, is representing the defendant. Barba will have to outwit an old friend to win this case, and he knows that will not be an easy matter. Will he crumble under pressure?

Last episode, a young girl went missing while on her way to school. While her parents were frantic with worry, the team started their investigation. They learned that the teenager was a truant and she had not been going to school for some time now. When she did, her classmates said she smelled of cigarette and weed. Apparently, the Evans did not know that their daughter had been partying with fraternities.

When the SVU eventually found her, she was already dead, the cause being a blunt force trauma to the head. There was also semen in her thighs, which they immediately sent to be analyzed. A hit with the DNA system matched those of the semen. The killer was related to an offender from way back. Things got tricky, however, when they learned that he had several stepbrothers. His father had been busy when he was alive, as he fathered sons from four women.

Eventually, the killer was apprehended. He said he had always admired the victim. On the day she died, she hopped into his van and asked for a cigarette. When he tried to kiss her, she panicked and hit her head hard in the back of the van. He then drove around hoping she would eventually came around, but she never did. He then hid her body under the bridge.

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. EST on NBC.