Hemphill, who worked in private equity, has been accused of using his wealth and power to meet women online, before beating and drugging his alleged victims to restrain them.
It was alleged that the 43-year-old would often threaten his victims with guns and knives, and allegedly used a shock collar and a cattle prod before raping women in what Alvin Bragg, the New York district attorney, described as “hours of physical and sexual violence”.
On Thursday, Bragg told a press conference: “The defendant told these survivors that he was untouchable. The indictment makes clear that he was wrong.”
In some cases, Hemphill asked the women to tell him about their past sexual traumas before recreating them, prosecutors alleged. It is believed he filmed some of the encounters at his apartment near the Empire State Building.
Authorities who searched his apartment found high-capacity magazines, hundreds of bullets, handcuffs, a cattle prod, large amounts of drugs, fake cash and surveillance cameras containing footage of dozens of women, the District Attorney’s office said.
“We have reason to believe that there may be more survivors,” Bragg said. “Dozens, if not hundreds, of women are captured on that footage.”
Hemphill allegedly met many of the women on “sugar daddy” websites, where he offered them large sums of money in exchange for sex and companionship. In many cases, he never paid them the agreed-upon amounts and sometimes he paid them with fake banknotes.
Prosecutors also alleged Hemphill told women that he was highly connected and bragged about his position as a powerful attorney, and told them they would be arrested after accepting his money.
In one case, Hemphill agreed to pay a woman US$2000 ($3300) to drop her police complaint, prosecutors said.
They also said that he forced women to record videos saying they consented to their sexual encounters, for which he would pay “large sums of money”.
Bragg said: “The power imbalance in his predatory acts could not be more clear.”
Hemphill faces life in prison if convicted.
In 2015, he was acquitted of choking and holding a 25cm knife to his ex-partner’s throat. During the trial, he admitted that he enjoyed choking his ex-girlfriend during sex, the New York Post reported.
His LinkedIn profile shows he graduated from Hofstra University in 2003 with degrees in drama and philosophy, before attending law school. In 2013, he founded his own firm, Madison Park Capital Advisors.
Judge Ann E. Scherzer ordered Hemphill to remain in jail without bail, saying it was the only way to ensure he returned to court.
The judge said that it was necessary as evidence presented by prosecutors showed the “extent to which he’s willing to go to protect himself from facing these charges”.
– Telegraph Group Ltd
