Doctor accused of inappropriately touching patient, exposed himself during exam in suit

PARAGOULD — While in the privacy of an exam room, a doctor exposed his genitals and inappropriately touched his female patient during an exam, an Arkansas lawsuit said.

The patient is now suing him, saying Dr. David Diffine’s actions during exams throughout an 18-month doctor-patient relationship caused her anxiety, humiliation and other physical and emotional damage, the lawsuit filed on Dec. 17 said. The patient is also suing Diffine Family Practice where the doctor is employed.

Attorney information for Diffine was not listed. The practice could not be reached for comment.

Beginning in mid-2023, the woman sought medical care from the Diffine in Greene County, according to the lawsuit. During examinations, the doctor showed her his genitals, inappropriately touched

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her and made lewd, sexual comments, the lawsuit said.

“(Diffine’s) actions were intentional, deliberate, and served no legitimate medical purpose. Instead, they were designed to gratify his own sexual desires, abuse his position of trust, and humiliate (the patient),” according to the lawsuit.

This led to severe emotional and even physical impacts on the woman’s health. The lawsuit says she struggled to sleep and suffered other “physical manifestations of stress” as a result of the doctor’s actions. She now distrusts medical professionals, according to court documents.

In November, a 2019 video surfaced showing Diffine walking around the medical practice naked during business hours. The video also showed the man performing sex acts with a staff member in front of two other staff members in the receptionist’s area, the outlet reported.

Diffine’s medical license was suspended by the Arkansas State Medical Board in October following reports of the physician engaging in sex acts with a staff member who was also a patient of his, according to the medical board.

The patient is seeking an undisclosed amount of damages to be determined by a jury, according to court documents.

If you have experienced sexual assault and need someone to talk to, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline for support at 1-800-656-4673 or visit the hotline's online chatroom.

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Mrs. Arkansas America,

Searcy native, returns home to share anti-sex trafficking platform

SEARCY — Arkansas ranks ninth in the United States in sex trafficking despite not being “even a border state,” according to Mrs. Arkansas America Brandy Huff Tarini, and she believes “it is important we address this” because “it’s here.”

Tarini, who lives in Little Rock, returned to her hometown of Searcy last week, making stops around town, including a tea at the historic Benjamin Clayton Black House, where she talked about her platform.

“I have been a mentor for sex traffic survivors for over 10 years and I also mentor for troubled youth,” Tarini said.

“I am a board member for PATH, which is Partners Against Trafficking Humans.

I have been trained to be on the crisis response team, as well as the emergency help line.”

She said the mean age for sex trafficking is 12, but she also has seen 4-year-olds and even 18-month-olds who were trafficked. “You have to know who the enemy is, you have to know the playbook. We have to know who our opponent is.”

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“… The interstate is really bad,” she said, mentioning an organization called Truckers Against Trafficking that has “done a huge deal in combating human trafficking.”

Tarini said those who are involved in sex traffickers are “master manipulators. The problem is that being a victim is glorified these days and so these kids, they want to be victims. And the next problem is getting these survivors to not be victims; that’s the big struggle. They don’t know how to not because they want attention, so they were getting attention when they were being trafficked. As a survivor, they don’t know how to get out of that.”

“I think these kids are trying to escape bad situations and they are looking for something,” she said, advising parents to “just raise kids who are not vulnerable. Social media is huge. Don’t post stuff that is going to make you a target. Parents are doing a good job, but it’s mostly runaways and kids that are just in broken homes, kids of addicts.”

Tarini said there are two types of pimps preying on the children’s vulnerabilities.

“There’s a ‘romeo pimp’ or a ‘guerilla pimp.’ … The romeo pimp will use manipulation in everything they can to reel you in and then the guerilla pimp will use violence to get you to stay. It’s a lot of manipulation. Sadly, a lot of these girls are getting some of their needs met and so that is what is keeping them. It’s sort of like Stockholm Syndrome, that’s what’s keeping them staying.”

According to Tarini, only 1 percent of the victims are rescued nationally. She said when she was asked to participate in the Mrs. Arkansas America Pageant, which was held in June in Hot Springs, “I just decided if I can help just one person by doing this, then it was worth it. And I didn’t expect to win; however, I did.”

Some of Tarini’s best moments have been spreading awareness about child trafficking, she said. She said she spoke to the Searcy Rotary Club and it was one of her favorite moments. “I talked to the lady who runs the Safe Place in Jonesboro and she’s also on a task force in Little Rock for the trafficking, so I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned the most by just talking to survivors.”