Florida doctor ‘forced young girls to film sadistic sex acts that led to one teen taking her own life

Charges against Dr. Stephen Andrew Leedy, 59, were announced Monday, over two years on from the unidentified child’s suicide

The 13-year-old girl hanged herself in front of her phone, two years ago

Subsequent search of the device found chats between the youngster and a man prosecutors say is Leedy, who directed the girl to produce child sex abuse material and choke herself

Dr Stephen Leedy who works at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, ‘very clearly engaged in this predatory behavior with approximately ten minor victims across the country,’ prosecutors said 

Leedy faces life behind bars if convicted of the crimes as charged

Florida based palliative care doctor Stephen Andrew Leedy, [photo], 59, has been charged with coercing children into sex acts online and helping a 13 year-old girl take her own life. He has denied the accusation through his lawyers 

Federal prosecutors accused a Florida based palliative care doctor of forcing children to perform sex acts online and helping a teenage girl hang herself.
The 13-year-old hanged herself in front of her phone. The charges against 59-year-old Dr. Stephen Andrew Leedy, 59, were announced Monday, over two years after the suicide of the unidentified minor in November 2022.
A subsequent search of the device found chats between the youngster and a man with the username maximumuncle#9112. Prosecutors said the man behind the pseudonym is Dr. Stephen Leedy, who works at Lakeland Regional Medical Center.
In the chats, the man directed the girl to produce child sex abuse material and choke herself.  Maximumuncle#9112, feds said, also encouraged other children to produce explicit material for his pleasure.
Court documents detail horrifying acts Leedy encouraged the young girl to perform, including extreme sex acts – upon herself – while also encouraging self mutilation, as prosecutors said the doctor ‘very clearly engaged in this predatory behavior with approximately ten minor victims across the country.’ 

palliative doctor Stephen Leedy aka ‘maximumuncle#911’, who lives with his family in this $1.1m home in St Petersburg, Florida, faces a sentence of life behind bars if convicted as charged

The doctor lives in a $1.1 million home a few blocks back from St Petersburg beach with wife Lynda, who holds a senior executive role with Pinellas County. Lynda Leedy is said to have been ‘shocked’ by news of her husband’s arrest.  
Leedy was indicted on October 24, leading to his arrest on December 20. He is currently being held in federal custody in Atlanta, facing three counts of production of child sexual abuse material and two counts of coercing or enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity.
He will spend the rest of his life behind bars if convicted as charged.  

Alleged predator Dr. Stephen Leedy is married to senior county executive Lynda, [right]. Before his fall from grace he was seen as an authoritative voice on palliative care, which aims to keep terminally-ill people comfortable during their final weeks or months.

Leedy who until his was exposed had a clean medical license with the Florida Department of Health, reportedly, communicated with his young preys by video-calling them, but kept his screen black and never revealed his identity to victims.
Prosecutors wrote: ‘Everything that Leedy instructed these minor victims to do was either physically or mentally detrimental to the minor victims.
‘He had absolutely no (regard) for their safety and took advantage of children more than half his age to gratify himself.’
Lynda has been the chief administrative officer for Pinellas County’s juvenile welfare board for the last 10 years. Her husband’s arrest was a ‘complete shock’ to her, according to a statement issued by Pinellas County on Tuesday morning. 

Leedy’s arrest reportedly, has come as a shock to Lynda Leedy, [photo], a senior executive at Pinellas County catering for juvenile welfare. So far there are no indications she was aware of her husband’s extracurricular activities 

Leedy was seen as an authoritative voice on palliative care, which aims to keep terminally-ill people comfortable during their final weeks or months.
He spoke about the topic at conferences and traveled to Lancaster University in England to share his expertise with other doctors and medical students. 
Leedy through his lawyers Bjorn Brunvand and Lucas Fleming denied the charges. The firm issued a statement: ‘Our client, Stephen Leedy adamantly denies the charges that have been filed against him in federal court,’ as they demanded their client be afforded the presumption of innocence. 
‘We will be entering a not guilty plea at the earliest opportunity and look forward to vigorously defending Dr. Leedy in court.