A private equity executive used a New York City apartment as a torture chamber where he raped, punched, shackled, and used a cattle prod in a series of depraved acts involving six women, according to Manhattan prosecutors.
Ryan Hemphill, 43, has pleaded not guilty to a 116-count indictment that charges him with predatory sexual assault and other crimes dating back to October. If convicted, Hemphill could face life in prison.
Prosecutors say that Hemphill, who is also a lawyer, concealed his crimes by threatening the women with false claims about his connections to the police and organized crime.
He allegedly told the victims that he had vast resources and could have them arrested or killed if they tried to report him.
“The details in this case are beyond disturbing — a sustained, calculated campaign of violence and cruelty that targeted vulnerable women.
This kind of predatory abuse has no place in our city and will be met with the full force of the law,” said New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch.
Hemphill reportedly met many of his victims through dating websites such as Seeking.com, SugarDaddy, and Craigslist, where he offered money for sex and companionship. In some cases, authorities say he paid them with counterfeit money.
Investigators found that Hemphill’s apartment was rigged with multiple surveillance cameras. The authorities recovered images showing dozens, if not hundreds, of other women, many of them naked and blindfolded, according to Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Mirah Curzer. She shared these details during a hearing where Hemphill was present.
Along with the disturbing images, investigators discovered hundreds of bullets, high-capacity magazines, and large quantities of drugs, including heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, and fentanyl.
As he got to know the women, Hemphill allegedly manipulated them into revealing their past sexual traumas, which he then reenacted during the assaults.
Prosecutors claim he forced or tricked the victims into taking drugs that left them unconscious or severely impaired. The women were allegedly slapped, punched, and restrained with handcuffs, ropes, and other methods.
In one instance, a victim was reportedly left shackled to Hemphill’s bed as she begged for her release. Hemphill allegedly used a cattle prod — an instrument typically used for livestock — as well as a shock collar, which he forced some women to wear around their necks, including during rape.
Psychological torture was also a part of the abuse, prosecutors say. Hemphill allegedly threatened his victims with guns and knives, urinated on them, and verbally humiliated them.
Some victims were even forced to record videos where they claimed to consent to the abuse, which Hemphill reportedly used to silence them by convincing them that no one would believe their allegations.
During a hearing, Judge Ann Scherzer ordered Hemphill to remain in jail, citing concerns that he might flee the country.
His wealth, philanthropic efforts, and family real estate holdings were pointed to as factors that could allow him to escape.
The judge further remarked that Hemphill’s alleged actions showed the extreme lengths he was willing to go to protect himself from facing these charges.
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