Federal prosecutors have charged a Tampa-area physician with a series of crimes connected to the production of harmful materials involving a child as well as attempts to incite the minor to engage in sexual activity.

According to a Justice Department release, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced the arrest of Dr. Stephen Andrew Leedy of St. Petersburg, 59, who faces life in federal prison if he’s convicted. The DOJ release said that Leedy was charged with “three counts of production of child sexual abuse material and two counts of coercing or enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity.”

According to the indictment and subsequent court documents, Leedy, a palliative care physician who specializes in pain management and serious illness symptoms relief, “utilized the username “maximumuncle#9112” to exploit and victimize approximately ten 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 2021, Minor Victim 1 was discovered deceased, having hanged herself in front of her phone in a manner consistent with instructions Leedy had previously provided her,” the DOJ release added.

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has made protecting children a cornerstone of his administration, pushing for and signing legislation that bars sexually explicit gender-related materials from being introduced to grades K-3.