OnlyFans Model Jailed for Four Years After Client Dies During BDSM Session

An OnlyFans content creator has been sentenced to four years in prison after a BDSM session with a client ended in tragedy, resulting in his death.

Michaela Rylaarsdam was sentenced on Monday after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of Michael Dale, who died following a paid BDSM encounter at his home in Escondido, California.

According to prosecutors, Dale suffocated after Rylaarsdam covered his head with a plastic bag, plastic wrap and duct tape as part of the session. Investigators said his limbs had also been restrained, leaving him unable to remove the coverings or free himself.

Authorities stated that Dale was deprived of oxygen for several minutes before emergency services were contacted. Although paramedics responded, he was declared brain-dead the following day.

The incident occurred in April 2023 after Dale reportedly paid Rylaarsdam $11,000 for the encounter.

During sentencing at the San Diego Superior Court, an emotional Rylaarsdam apologised to Dale’s family, struggling to hold back tears as she addressed the court.

“There are no words. ‘I’m sorry’ is not enough,” she said. “The desire to go back and undo this would be at the top. If I could change this…”

Her defence lawyer maintained that the death was a tragic accident rather than an intentional act, arguing that she never intended to harm her client and sought emergency assistance as soon as she realised something had gone wrong.

“There was no intent to kill and no attempt to conceal what happened,” the lawyer told the court. “She acted appropriately when she realised this was a serious problem.”

Rylaarsdam, a married mother of three, will serve a four-year custodial sentence following the court’s ruling.
Prosecutors acknowledged that the encounter was consensual but stressed that consent did not remove responsibility for actions that ultimately led to Dale’s death, a case that has reignited discussions about safety, accountability and risk within extreme sexual practices.