Impact x Nightline: Season 1, Episode 16 - Under His Spell: Sarah Lawrence Dad Turned Predator (2023)

Lawrence Ray moves into his daughter's dorm room at Sarah Lawrence College, presenting himself as a concerned father who wants to support his daughter during her transition to college life. His presence is unusual but initially accepted by the campus community, and he quickly begins to insert himself into the lives of his daughter's friends, offering advice, emotional support, and financial help.

Ray begins to cultivate relationships with several students, often positioning himself as a mentor or father figure. He listens to their problems, offers guidance, and gradually gains their trust. Over time, he starts to manipulate these relationships, isolating students from their families and friends, and convincing them that he is the only person who truly understands and cares for them.

Ray's manipulation escalates as he begins to use psychological tactics to control the students. He convinces some of them that they are in danger from outside threats, including their own families, and that he is their only protector. He uses fear, guilt, and emotional blackmail to keep them dependent on him, often convincing them to cut ties with their families and move in with him.

Ray begins to exploit the students financially, convincing them to sign over assets, take out loans, and give him money under the pretense of helping them or protecting them from imagined threats. He also begins to sexually exploit some of the students, using his position of power and their dependence on him to coerce them into sexual acts.

Ray's control over the students becomes increasingly abusive. He subjects them to physical and emotional abuse, including beatings, forced confessions, and psychological torture. He records some of these incidents, creating disturbing audio and video evidence of his crimes. The students are kept in a state of constant fear and confusion, unable to escape his influence.

One of the students, who has been particularly close to Ray, begins to question his behavior and seeks help from outside sources. She confides in a trusted friend, who encourages her to reach out to authorities. The student gathers evidence of Ray's abuse, including recordings and written accounts of his actions.

The student contacts law enforcement and provides them with the evidence she has collected. Investigators begin to look into Ray's activities, interviewing other students and gathering more evidence of his crimes. As more victims come forward, the full extent of Ray's manipulation and abuse becomes clear.

Law enforcement conducts a thorough investigation, uncovering a pattern of psychological manipulation, financial exploitation, and sexual abuse that spans several years. They gather audio and video recordings, written confessions, and testimonies from multiple victims. The evidence is overwhelming, and Ray is arrested and charged with multiple counts of sexual assault, extortion, and sex trafficking.

Ray is brought to trial, where the prosecution presents the evidence of his crimes. Victims testify about their experiences, describing the psychological manipulation, physical abuse, and sexual exploitation they endured. The recordings and written confessions are played in court, providing a chilling account of Ray's actions.

Ray is found guilty on all charges and sentenced to a lengthy prison term. The victims, though traumatized, begin the process of healing and rebuilding their lives. The case draws national attention, highlighting the dangers of psychological manipulation and the importance of recognizing and reporting abuse.

The episode concludes with interviews of the survivors, who share their stories and reflect on the impact of Ray's actions on their lives. They express hope for the future and a commitment to raising awareness about the signs of manipulation and abuse.

Lawrence Ray is arrested and convicted for his crimes, and the survivors begin to rebuild their lives, though they carry lasting trauma from their years of abuse.

The episode "Under His Spell: Sarah Lawrence Dad Turned Predator" builds toward its conclusion with a series of harrowing revelations and the eventual downfall of Lawrence Ray. The narrative unfolds in a chronological, scene-by-scene manner, each moment layered with emotional weight and factual detail.

The episode begins with survivors Daniel Levin and Felicia Rosario recounting their experiences living under Lawrence Ray's control. They describe how Ray, after moving into his daughter's dorm at Sarah Lawrence College, gradually isolated and manipulated his daughter's friends, including Levin and Rosario. Over the course of nearly a decade, Ray subjected them to physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. He controlled their every move, dictated what they ate, denied them sleep, and used constant threats to maintain his grip. The survivors speak of the suffocating fear that permeated their lives, the loss of identity, and the manipulation that made escape seem impossible.

The episode then shifts to the moment when Levin finally decides to leave. He describes the overwhelming sense of danger, the feeling that staying any longer could mean death--either at Ray's hands or by his own. Levin stops answering Ray's calls and disappears, hoping Ray won't pursue him. Even after leaving, Levin remains haunted by the trauma, living in a state of disassociation and feeling as though the world has lost its color.

Rosario, meanwhile, continues to endure Ray's abuse. She recounts how Ray forced one of her roommates into prostitution, profiting nearly $2.5 million from her escort services. Ray also coerces Rosario's brother into paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for supposed property damage, with much of the money coming from Rosario's parents. The abuse extends beyond the immediate victims, ensnaring their families and friends in a web of fear and manipulation.

The episode highlights the rumors that begin to swirl among Sarah Lawrence students about what is happening. These rumors eventually reach two New York Magazine reporters, who reach out to Levin about his experience. Levin's decision to speak out marks a turning point, as his story begins to unravel Ray's carefully constructed facade.

The narrative then moves to Ray's arrest. Law enforcement, armed with disturbing recordings and survivor testimonies, confronts Ray. The episode shows the legal proceedings, with Ray ultimately being convicted for his crimes. The survivors, including Levin and Rosario, testify in court, their voices steady but their pain evident. The conviction brings a sense of justice, but the survivors acknowledge that the trauma will stay with them forever.

The episode concludes with the survivors reflecting on their journey. Levin speaks of the long road to recovery, the constant struggle to reclaim his sense of self. Rosario describes the ongoing impact on her family and the difficulty of moving forward. The final scenes show the survivors in their current lives, working to rebuild and find peace, though the scars of their past remain.

The episode's key message is clear: the power of manipulation and abuse can have lasting effects, but speaking out and seeking justice are crucial steps toward healing. The fate of each main character is laid bare--Ray is behind bars, Levin and Rosario are survivors, forever changed but determined to move forward. The story underscores the importance of support, resilience, and the courage to confront the past.

There is no postcredit scene in Impact x Nightline, Season 1, Episode 16, titled "Under His Spell: Sarah Lawrence Dad Turned Predator." The episode concludes with the final narration and credits rolling over the last segment of survivor testimony and archival footage, without any additional scenes, interviews, or content following the credits.

Lawrence Ray is the central figure in the episode, a man who moved into his daughter's dorm at Sarah Lawrence College, posing as a concerned parent. Over the course of about ten years, he insinuated himself into the lives of students and their families, eventually becoming a predator who manipulated, extorted, and sexually trafficked several young people connected to the college. His presence began as seemingly benign but quickly escalated into a pattern of psychological, physical, and sexual abuse.

Lawrence Ray subjected his victims to severe psychological, physical, and sexual abuse. He controlled their sleep, dictated their diets, yelled at them, beat them, and isolated them from their families. He also forced at least one roommate into prostitution, profiting nearly $2.5 million from her escort services. He coerced others into paying him large sums of money under false pretenses, such as for supposed property damage, often extracting payments from the victims' parents.

Ray initially charmed Felicia Rosario, who was visiting her brother at the Sarah Lawrence dorm, and convinced her that she was in danger from outside threats, making her believe she would only be safe living with him in New York. He used similar tactics with Daniel Levin, gradually isolating both from their support networks, controlling their daily lives, and instilling fear through threats and violence. Over time, he gained complete psychological control, making them feel trapped and unable to leave.

Disturbing recordings were a key piece of evidence in exposing Lawrence Ray's crimes. These recordings captured Ray's manipulative and abusive behavior, providing concrete proof of his psychological control, threats, and the extent of his exploitation. The recordings were used by investigators and featured in the episode to illustrate the depth of his manipulation and the trauma experienced by his victims.

Daniel Levin reached a breaking point where he felt his life was in mortal danger, either from Ray or from his own despair, and decided to leave. He stopped answering Ray's calls and hoped he wouldn't be pursued. Felicia Rosario also managed to escape, but both survivors describe the process as incredibly difficult due to Ray's psychological hold and his threats against their families, which made them fear for their loved ones' safety if they tried to leave.

The episode "Under His Spell: Sarah Lawrence Dad Turned Predator" from Impact x Nightline Season 1 is not family friendly and is intended for mature audiences due to its serious and sensitive subject matter.

Potentially objectionable or upsetting aspects include:

• Discussion and depiction of predatory behavior and abuse, which may be disturbing for children and sensitive viewers.
• Themes involving sexual misconduct and exploitation.
• Intense emotional content related to trauma and victim experiences.
• Possible references to legal and psychological consequences of abuse.

The show is a hard-hitting news magazine style documentary series that covers real-life crimes and social issues, often with graphic or intense content, making it unsuitable for children or those sensitive to such topics.