Prosecutors say a New York attorney turned his Midtown apartment into a torture site, using a shock collar, waterboarding, and beatings during hours-long assaults on at least six women.
Story Highlights
- A 116-count indictment charges Ryan Hemphill with raping and torturing six women over five months.
- Prosecutors describe use of an electric shock collar, a cattle prod, restraints, and waterboarding.
- Reports say some attacks lasted for hours, with recordings kept as “trophies,” according to prosecutors.
- Hemphill has pleaded not guilty and remains jailed while the case moves forward.
Prosecutors Outline a Pattern of Abuse
Manhattan prosecutors charged Ryan Hemphill with 116 crimes tied to assaults that they say began on October 3, 2024, and lasted five months. The indictment includes predatory sexual assault, rape, strangulation, and other violent offenses. Prosecutors say Hemphill met women online and brought them to his Midtown apartment. There, he allegedly beat, restrained, and raped them for hours. The case centers on six women who shared detailed accounts with investigators and grand jurors.
Prosecutors say Hemphill used tools to control and harm the women. They list a cattle prod and an electric shock collar that he allegedly forced on some victims’ necks. They also accuse him of waterboarding, repeated submersion, and threats with weapons. Reporters who reviewed court filings say the attacks were recorded and stored as “trophies,” a detail prosecutors highlighted in court. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office called it a “calculated campaign of violence” that lasted months.
How the Case Reached Indictment
The public record shows the case grew from tips, digital evidence, and interviews over several months. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office announced the indictment on April 24, 2025, and described a set of repeated methods used to trap and harm victims. News outlets report that Hemphill remains in jail and has pleaded not guilty. As with all criminal cases, the charges must be proven in court, and the defense will have a chance to respond to every claim.
Coverage across major outlets has relied on the indictment and on-the-record statements from the District Attorney’s office. That is common in early stages of violent crime cases, when prosecutors hold more verified details than the defense shares publicly. Several reports echo the same points: multi-hour assaults, electric shocks, forced restraints, and videos kept by the accused. This alignment suggests a shared source in the charging documents and court statements.
Why This Case Resonates Beyond One Apartment
This case strikes a nerve because it touches on power, trust, and safety in daily life. Prosecutors say Hemphill used wealth and status to lure women who thought they were meeting a successful professional. People across the political spectrum worry that elites can dodge rules while victims struggle to be heard. This case shows how that fear grows when the alleged harm is brutal, planned, and filmed, and when it happens behind the closed doors of a fancy city home.
Many readers ask what comes next. The court will test the evidence: the videos and photos prosecutors say exist, the victims’ sworn statements, any messages, and any physical items seized. The scale of the charges means the case could take time. If proven, the counts carry long prison terms. If not, the court will say so. Either way, the process should be clear and firm, so people see that the law applies the same to the rich and the poor.
Sources:
people.com, audacy.com, usnews.com
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