OnlyFans creator sentenced to four years for fetish suffocation death of California man

VISTA, Calif. (CN) — A woman who accidentally killed a man while filming fetish content for a popular social media site was sentenced to four years in prison in San Diego Superior Court on Monday.

Michaela Rylaarsdam, 32, pleaded guilty last month to one count of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the 2023 death 55-year-old Michael Dale, from Escondido.

Dale died as a result of suffocation after paying Rylaarsdam to perform fetish acts on him. These acts were meant to be published on Rylaarsdam’s OnlyFans account, a popular online subscription-based website commonly used to share online adult content.

Prosecutors say Dale’s wrists were bound and a plastic bag was taped over his head for several minutes. Rylaarsdam ultimately called 911.

In an emotional statement to the family, Rylaarsdam fought through tears.

“I was going back and forth as to whether I should say something, and if I would say the wrong thing,” said Rylaarsdam, who was seated in a corner of the courtroom just out of sight of most of the audience. “But it would be a poor example to my children if I did not. When something bad happens, we need to take ownership.”

Rylaarsdam said she was disappointed in herself after reading a letter she wrote to Dale’s family a year ago. In it, she wanted to tell her side of the story. But that explanation was not appropriate, she said.

Rylaarsdam said she wished that she could change what happened.

“‘I’m sorry’ is not enough,” said Rylaarsdam, who started therapy after the killing of Dale. “The desire to go back and undo this would be at the top. I have a million emotions.”

Although Dale’s family was not in the courtroom, Rylaarsdam’s husband and uncle were both present for her sentencing.

“Clearly, there was no intent to kill Mr. Dale,” Daniel Cohen, Rylaarsdam’s attorney, told the courtroom. “This was clearly an accident.”

However, Superior Court Judge Brad Weinreb still had harsh words for Rylaarsdam.

“I know you’ve taken responsibility, but at the end of the day we’re dealing with the unfortunate and preventable death that was caused by your actions,” Weinreb told Rylaarsdam. “The actions were so reckless that death was almost certain.”

Despite any agreement between Rylaarsdam and Dale, the facts of the case showed that the charges could have been significantly higher, Weinreb said.

“That conduct showed a conscious disregard for human life,” Deputy District Attorney David Jarman told Courthouse News. “She knew the risk she was engaging in and went for it anyway.”

Rylaarsdam and Dale had met a couple of weeks prior to his killing through an online advertising directory for adult content, Jarman said. The two then communicated via WhatsApp where she charged him for text message exchanges, he said.

Over the course of a few weeks, Dale paid Rylaarsdam more than $11,000.

On April 17, 2023, Rylaarsdam, who lived in San Bernardino County, traveled to Dale’s residence in Escondido, California, where she was hired to engage in bondage acts that ultimately led to his death. No sex act occurred between the two of them, Jarman said.

Dale was described in court as a fragile man who suffered from some underlying medical conditions, including high blood pressure and diabetes.

Rylaarsdam was originally facing a second-degree murder charge and potentially 25 years to life in prison.

Although Dale’s family is still upset about his death, they are satisfied with the resolution of the case, Jarman said.

Cohen described Rylaarsdam as a bright, intelligent young woman who was engaged in her OnlyFans business to support her family.

“It’s a tragic situation,” Cohen said. “She never intended to kill anyone.”

Cohen said Rylaarsdam, who has been in jail since February 2025, will likely remain incarcerated for a little more than a year due to credits for time already served.