Florida doctor ‘forced young girls to film sadistic sex acts that led to one child’s horrific death’
Palliative care doctors in Florida forced children to perform sex acts online and helped a 13-year-old girl hang herself, federal prosecutors say.
The charges against Dr. Steven Andrew Leedy, 59, was announced on Monday, more than two years after the unidentified child’s suicide.
She hung herself in front of her phone.
A subsequent search of the device found chats between the youth and a man prosecutors say is Leedy, who ordered the girl to produce child sex abuse material and strangle herself.
Leedy, who reportedly went by the username maximumuncle#9112, allegedly encouraged other children to produce explicit material for him and harm themselves.
Prosecutors say the doctor — who works at Lakeland Regional Medical Center — “was very clearly involved in this predatory behavior involving approximately 10 child victims across the country.”
Leedy allegedly spoke to his victims by video calling them, but he kept his screen black and never revealed his identity to the victims. Tampa Bay Times reported.
He has a clean medical license with the Florida Department of Health.
But Leedy faces death behind bars if he is convicted of the three counts of producing child sexual abuse material and two counts of coercing or enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity that he now faces.
The doctor lives in a $1.1 million home a few blocks from the St. Petersburg beach with his wife, Lynda, who serves in a senior executive role with Pinellas County.
She is said to be ‘shocked’ by the news of her husband’s arrest.
Prosecutors wrote, “Everything Leedy instructed these child victims to do was physically or mentally harmful to the child victims.
Florida palliative care doctor Stephen Andrew Leedy has been accused of forcing children to perform sex acts online and helping a 13-year-old girl commit suicide
Pictured is Leedy’s $1.1 million home in St. Petersburg, Florida. He faces up to life in prison if convicted of the crimes he is accused of
Leedy’s wife Lynda, pictured, holds a high-ranking Pinellas County position, but there is no indication she was aware of her husband’s alleged crimes
‘He had absolutely no regard for their safety and took advantage of children older than half his age to gratify himself.’
Lynda served as Chief Administrative Officer for the Pinellas County Youth Services Board for the past ten years.
Her husband’s arrest came as a “complete shock” to her, according to a statement from Pinellas County Tuesday morning.
Pinellas County CEO Beth Houghton said she was “stunned and saddened” by Lynda and has “complete confidence” that she can continue in her role as before.
Houghton said Lynda did not work with children and was required to undergo a strict background check before being hired, further underlining that she knew nothing of her husband’s alleged crimes.
The statement concluded: “During this challenging time, we ask for mercy, empathy and privacy for Ms. Leedy and her family.”
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 on the subject at conferences and traveled to Lancaster University in England to share his expertise with other doctors and medical students.