Pain Clinic Manager Accused Of Extorting Patient For Sex

TARPON SPRINGS, FL — The director of operations for a Tarpon Springs pain management clinic has been accused of asking a patient for sexual favors in exchange for retaining her as a patient.

On Wednesday, the Tarpon Springs Police Department received a complaint from a patient at the Phoenix Medical Pain Management clinic at 1779 S. Pinellas Ave., Tarpon Springs.

The woman told detectives that the clinic's director of operations, Christopher Paul Ferguson, contacted her to tell her she had a positive drug result during one of her routine tests while under the care of the pain management clinic.

According to police, Ferguson then told her over the next nine days to respond to the clinic to repeat her tests in order to remain a patient there.

Each time she would receive a test, she said Ferguson called her back to tell her there was a problem with the test.

Eventually, police said he began contacting her outside of normal business hours from his personal phone, telling her to come to the clinic in the evening after the clinic closed and then tried to extort her to perform sexual favors for him in exchange for remaining a patient at the clinic.

On Friday, Ferguson was charged with one count of extortion and discharged from his job at the clinic.

During the investigation, police identified other potential victims. They are asking anyone who may have been a victim to contact Tarpon Springs police detectives at 727-938-2849.