Overview
- Stephen Andrew Leedy, a 59-year-old palliative care doctor, has been charged with producing child sexual abuse material and coercing minors into explicit acts and self-harm.
- Leedy allegedly used the online alias 'maximumuncle#9112' to contact at least 10 minors across the U.S. through video chats and social media messages.
- Federal prosecutors accuse Leedy of instructing a 13-year-old girl to hang herself, resulting in her death in November 2021, and directing other minors to engage in dangerous and explicit activities.
- Leedy’s defense attorneys have stated he denies the charges and plans to plead not guilty, emphasizing the presumption of innocence.
- If convicted, Leedy faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison for his alleged crimes, which prosecutors describe as predatory and harmful to vulnerable victims.