Ryan Hemphill, 44, a lawyer accused of a pattern of sexual perversion, allegedly tortured a woman for seven hours in his Midtown apartment, prosecutors revealed Tuesday. His victim count has now risen to seven.
Hemphill, who is currently detained on Rikers Island, faces a 116-count indictment for allegedly assaulting six other women between October 2024 and March 2025 using devices such as cattle prods, shock collars, and waterboarding. The new charges were filed in Manhattan Supreme Court after an additional victim came forward.
According to Assistant District Attorney Mirah Curzer, the latest victim met Hemphill on the SugarDaddy dating app in the spring of 2024, expecting payment for sex. Instead, Hemphill allegedly threatened her with a knife, tied her to his bed, burned her with a hot object, and forced her to wear an electric shock collar. The alleged torture continued in a bathtub, where he repeatedly submerged her head, pulling her up just before she lost consciousness.
The prolonged ordeal concluded with Hemphill allegedly forcing the victim to state on video that she wanted to be raped, a tactic prosecutors say he used with other victims. "The video itself shows how false that is," Curzer stated in court. "The victim is clearly terrified and [he is] actively abusing her while she speaks."
Prosecutors allege Hemphill, the son of a prominent neurologist, used these videos to intimidate his victims and kept them as trophies. He also allegedly sent threatening text messages and claimed to have connections to organized crime and law enforcement. Victims were reportedly paid with counterfeit money or not paid at all.
Hemphill, who appeared in court wearing rosary beads, reportedly convinced the latest victim it would be futile to report the abuse, citing his alleged powerful connections. The woman came forward after seeing news reports about his initial indictment.
Hemphill was arrested in March 2025. At the time of his arrest, investigators reportedly found numerous videos of women, surveillance cameras, drugs, and high-capacity ammunition in his possession.
He pleaded not guilty to the new 41-count indictment, which includes charges of rape and predatory sexual assault. Hemphill was previously acquitted in 2013 of choking and assaulting a former girlfriend during an incident involving a knife.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg described Hemphill's alleged actions as "absolutely horrific" and expressed gratitude for the survivor's bravery in coming forward despite the defendant's alleged attempts to prevent prosecution.