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SAN DIEGO — A San Diego Superior Court judge has sentenced adult entertainer and OnlyFans model Michaela Rylaarsdam to four years in state prison for involuntary manslaughter in the death of client Michael Dale. Prosecutors said Dale died after a paid, contract-based BDSM encounter at his Escondido home in April 2023, for which he paid Rylaarsdam $11,000 to perform specialized adult containment acts. Court documents state that during the session Dale’s limbs were fully restrained to prevent movement, and that Rylaarsdam placed a plastic storage bag, industrial cling wrap and heavy-duty duct tape over his head, blocking his ability to breathe. Investigators determined Dale remained sealed inside the materials for about eight minutes before Rylaarsdam realized he was in medical distress and called 911, and he was later declared brain-dead at a local hospital. In court, Rylaarsdam broke down in tears during her formal sentencing hearing, repeatedly sobbing as she addressed Dale’s surviving family members. She expressed deep remorse, telling the court that no words could adequately address the magnitude of their loss and that she wished she could reverse the events of that night. Her defense team argued that Dale had given explicit personal consent to the extreme restraints and that this should be considered a mitigating factor in the case. The judge, however, ruled that such consent did not provide a legal defense to involuntary manslaughter under California law and imposed the four-year prison term.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.