Lawyer Previously Cleared of Sex Assault Faces 116-Count Indictment for Alleged Multi-Hour Attacks Involving Cattle Prods and Waterboarding

A Manhattan lawyer with a penchant for S&M has found himself in trouble again, facing a slew of horrifying new charges. Ryan Hemphill, 43, is accused of raping and torturing six women in his apartment, according to a shocking 116-count indictment released by prosecutors.

This isn’t Hemphill’s first brush with the law. He previously dodged a sex assault charge a decade ago, where he was found not guilty of choking and assaulting his then-girlfriend at knifepoint during a bizarre encounter in 2015. However, the latest allegations paint a much darker picture, with claims that he used cattle prods, shock collars, and even waterboarding to subdue his victims during “multi-hour ordeals.”

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg didn’t hold back when addressing the media, stating, “He wielded his law degree and money as both sword and shield, coercing and silencing survivors. The defendant told these survivors he was untouchable. The indictment makes clear that he was wrong.”

According to prosecutors, Hemphill allegedly boasted about having connections to the NYPD and organized crime to intimidate the women into submission. He reportedly hired prostitutes for these disturbing encounters, often refusing to pay them or giving them counterfeit money instead.

“The defendant inflicted enormous suffering and trauma on these six women, raping them repeatedly and torturing them for hours simply because he enjoyed their pain and fear,” said Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Mirah Curzur during a court appearance. “And then he threatened and intimidated them to ensure they never came forward.”

In a particularly chilling detail, prosecutors revealed that Hemphill forced his victims to record themselves consenting to the abuse, keeping these videos as trophies of his heinous acts. He also allegedly sent threatening messages to his victims, claiming he had mob and police connections.

In one text sent on December 22, he reportedly wrote to a woman, “You prostitute, did you not notice all the police business cards on my f—king coffee table? I know half the precinct, you f—k.” In another message sent on November 30, he warned another victim, “I’m leaving here in five minutes. If you’re not here I’m gonna f—king unleash federal hell on you. You’re gonna wish you were f—king dead.”

Hemphill, who is the son of a well-known neurologist, admitted during his previous trial that he enjoyed rough sex and often acted out disturbing S&M fantasies with various partners, including role-playing as a TSA agent. His former girlfriend, Christina Leos, who met him on eHarmony, described their relationship as one that involved rough sex but claimed he crossed a line when he allegedly held a 10-inch Bowie knife to her throat during a terrifying encounter in his apartment in 2013. “I thought I was going to die,” she recounted to the jury.

Despite the serious allegations, a jury deliberated for just a day and a half before acquitting Hemphill of all charges in that case. Following his acquittal, Hemphill stated, “This was an overcharged case to begin with, and the District Attorney’s office had little to no evidence. It should have never gotten this far.”

However, Manhattan prosecutors assert that Hemphill’s alleged predilections for violence and abuse did not end there. After an extensive investigation by the District Attorney’s office, he was arrested on March 1, with authorities reportedly discovering high-capacity ammunition, surveillance cameras, videos of numerous women, and a stash of drugs, including heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, and fentanyl.

The unsealed arraignment reveals that Hemphill is now facing charges of predatory sexual assault, among other serious offenses, with prosecutors suggesting that this is merely “the tip of the iceberg.” They believe there could be dozens, if not hundreds, of other victims who have yet to come forward.

“The details in this case are beyond disturbing — a sustained, calculated campaign of violence and cruelty that targeted vulnerable women,” stated NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch in a press release. “This kind of predatory abuse has no place in our city and will be met with the full force of the law.”

As of now, Hemphill has been ordered to be held without bail, pending his next court appearance. The case continues to unfold, and the implications of these allegations are far-reaching, raising serious questions about the safety and protection of vulnerable individuals in society.