Florida doctor who allegedly directed minors to self-harm arrested by Holly Springs PD
CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - A pallative care doctor from Florida was recently arrested by the Holly Springs Police Department in Cherokee County for child pornography.
According to HSPD, they received a BOLO (Be On the Lookout) alert for 59-year-old Stephen Andrew Leedy from St. Petersburg who was wanted for production of child sexual abuse material and coercing or enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity.
He was then transferred to the custody of the U.S. Marshals in Atlanta and is expected to be transported back to Tampa to face sharges.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office of Middle Florida, Leedy utilized the username "maximumuncle#9112" to sexually exploit and victimize approximately 10 minors online. In online conversations and video chats, Leedy instructed the minors to produce sexually explicit images of themselves and directed them to cut, choke, and hang themselves. In November 2022, a 13-year-old girl was discovered deceased, having hanged herself in front of her phone in a manner consistent with instructions Leedy had allegedly previously provided her.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Leedy's wife is the chief administrative officer of the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County. The newspaper says that Leedy worked at a number of Florida hospices, including Gulfside Healthcare Services in the Tampa Bay region and Tidewell Hospice, which has locations in Sarasota and Manatee counties. His medical license with the Florida Department of Health reflects no disciplinary history and says he has staff privileges at Lakeland Regional Medical Center.
Leedy's wife and mother-in-law were reportedly in the vehicle with him when he was pulled over in Cherokee County.
The doctor reportedly told police officers they had pulled over the wrong person and he is a doctor. He has reportedly denied any wrongdoing.
His medical license has been suspended by the state of Georgia, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
His attorneys, Bjorn Brunvand and Lucas Fleming, issued the following statement:
"Our client, Stephen Leedy adamantly denies the charges that have been filed against him in federal court. It is particularly important in moments like this when someone is being accused of very troubling allegations, that we afford him 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."
The Juvenile Welfare Board says Leedy's wife was shocked by the arrest and allegations and she is a valued member of the board.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The FBI Atlanta office also assisted with the investigation.