A new spa in Atkinson catering to adults who role-play as children wearing diapers has neighbors’ undergarments in a bunch, with hundreds signing an online petition to prevent the business from opening in the community.
According to its website, The Diaper Spa — to be located at 23 Pope Road — is a “physician-run diaper salon” aimed at “all diaper-wearing individuals who seek acceptance, respite, and care.”
On the spa’s website, owner Dr. Colleen Murphy invites interested customers to imagine a “safe and judgment-free session” where they can express themselves and “partake of your favorite activities, meals, snacks, and nurturing.”
The website states the safety and well-being of clients are “paramount” at Diaper Spa, with all clients undergoing a “thorough vetting process,” including ID checks and screening through the National Sex Offender Registry.
“Our commitment to discretion and respect is unwavering,” Murphy says in a quote on the website.
“The Diaper Spa is a safe space where clients can experience compassionate care without fear of judgment or exposure. We take every measure to ensure the safety of our clients,” she continues.
Photos on the website show a room decorated like a nursery, with toys, diapers and a crib that appears large enough to hold an adult.
Attempts to reach Murphy for comment Tuesday were unsuccessful.
She told Boston.com that people need to be more open-minded. “People tend to fear anything that they fail to comprehend,” she said on the website.
Residents’ petition
Residents in the town of about 7,000 say they are concerned about the as-yet-unopened business.
An online petition posted Sunday at the website Change.org by Atkinson resident Kayla Gallagher titled “Stop the Diaper Spa” had received more than 300 signatures as of Tuesday.
“As residents and patrons of this community, we feel compelled to voice our collective concern and dissatisfaction regarding potential incidents that pose a threat to the safety and well-being of our community members, particularly our children,” the petition reads.
“It has come to our attention that this business is advertised to individuals whose sexual fetish involves childlike behaviors. This business, per their website, has advertised our town playground to their potential clientele. Thus their sexual fetish will involve the town park where our children play.
“In light of these concerns, we urgently request the town reject any business and zoning licenses and applications for this business.”
On its website, The Diaper Spa mentions access to nearby trails as an amenity.
“We have a trail practically from the backyard leading along a pond and a private walk to a fun park all year,” the website states.
One signer, Jessica Ray, said Atkinson’s response to the The Diaper Spa “sets the tone for non-residents who are thinking and planning about coming here or even moving here.”
“The clientele this business serves and would draw into not only our town but also neighboring towns, is questionable and borders on fantasizing and encouraging/accepting and acting out pedophilia,” Ray said in an online post. “The small town of Atkinson and this residential neighborhood, is no place for a sexual fetish ‘therapy’ business, especially when its focus is on fantasizing about children and sexual play.”
Gina Monfet, who lives in the 55-and-over community next door to the spa property, said she is “not comfortable with the possibility of this type of business in my backyard.”
“It’s not a matter of what goes on behind closed doors being her business. I’m not comfortable with them going for walks literally through our front yard to a park where kids have their summer activities and sports games,” Monfet said.
Spa not yet licensed
Murphy’s website says she is a “doctor of medicine” and a “board certified diplomate and certified sexologist” by the American Board of Sexology.
The American Board of Sexology, which has existed since 1986, is a “professional verification institution of doctoral professors and research specialists that review and qualify candidates in the field of Sexology,” according its website.
According to her LinkedIn page, Murphy is an “independent artist, creative collaborator, integrative medical physician, intimacy and relationship coach and sex therapist” who worked as a hospitalist physician at Waldo County General Hospital in Maine from January 2016 until January 2023.
She also served as an ordained minister for the Universal Life Church in Seattle from May 2021 to December 2022.
Murphy received her medical degree from The University of Texas Medical School at Houston in 2004, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Services at The Diaper Spa advertised on the website include a 30-minute call at no charge with the “resident Diaper Doctor, Doc Murphy” to talk about the various services and “a spa-like nursery experience for the little one inside of you, providing a warm, safe, and nurturing environment while you indulge in relaxation,” which costs $350 per hour.
Other services are available for prices ranging from $100 an hour for texting with Murphy to $1,500 for a 24-hour spa stay.
Virtual and Zoom playdates described as “personalized care and interactive sessions from the comfort of your own home” cost $200 per hour, a live “call with doc” is at $150 an hour, and texting with Murphy is $100 per hour, according to the website.
More high-end spa services include $1,500 for a 24-hour stay “Diaper B & B,” described as a premier spa experience for the little one inside of you” and a “relaxing and rejuvenating escape, providing top-notch care and pampering services,” according to the website.
The town has received no final application from the Diaper Spa for a business license, which would have to go before the Zoning Board at a public meeting.
“Adult baby/diaper lovers” are described as people “who act a voluntary regression to a previous age and/or wear a diaper for psychological reasons,” in a 2020 article published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Researchers say for many, being an “adult baby” is a way to cope with stressful or traumatic past experiences.
