Peter Scanavino joined, originally in a recurring capacity, as Detective Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr., beginning with the season premiere episode "Girls Disappeared".

Peter Gallagher joins this season, in a recurring capacity, as Deputy Chief William Dodds, the head of all the Special Victims Units in New York City.

[18] Ron Rifkin returns to SVU portraying defense attorney Marvin Exley in an episode that aired in October, "Producer’s Backend".

[14][15] Harry Hamlin guest starred in an episode that aired on December 10, "Pattern Seventeen" as Rollins' previous commanding-officer in Atlanta, Deputy Chief Patton.

Walker portrays Reese Taymor, a detective from Atlanta who attends a law enforcement conference in New York, with Patton and accuses the latter of rape.

Andre Braugher returned to SVU as his season 13–14 recurring character defense attorney Bayard Ellis in the episode entitled "Perverted Justice".

Cragen, previously a main character, who served as Captain of SVU from 1999 until the fifteenth season, assists Benson in re-opening the case and gathering evidence.

[29][30] Amaro reports to the scene of a car crash where Hollywood starlet Tensley Evans (Stevie Lynn Jones) tries to flirt her way out of trouble.

As Barba pushes forward with her trial for rape, Benson begins to suspect underlying issues that led to Evans' actions, which leads the squad to a producer (Brian d'Arcy James) who has a troubling history.

Benson and SVU get a new lead on a missing child pornography victim from Sergeant Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) of the Chicago Police Department.

When things become personal for CPD Detective Erin Lindsay (Sophia Bush), she and her partner, Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer), travel to New York to lend a hand in the investigation.

Detective Tutuola discovers security camera footage of a domestic dispute between a famous sportscaster (Chad Coleman) and his girlfriend (Meagan Good).

After expressing interest in taking the upcoming Sergeant's exam, Amaro learns from Benson that One Police Plaza does not want to promote him as he is considered "damaged goods" due to his involvement in several past incidents.

Realizing that he is unlikely to advance within the NYPD and that the department may use his injuries to force him into early retirement, Amaro resigns in order to move to California so he can be closer to his children.