Madeline Soto case: Mother’s boyfriend hit with 60 new charges of child sexual abuse
Stephan Sterns is accused of multiple offfences, including the sexual battery of a child under 12
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Madeline Soto’s mother’s boyfriend has been hit with 60 new charges of child sexual abuse as the investigation into her death continues.
Madeline, 13, was reported missing on 26 February in Kissimmee, close to Orlando, Florida, after her mother’s boyfriend Stephan Sterns claimed he had dropped her off at school.
Mr Sterns was then arrested a few days later, after “disturbing” images and videos were found on his phone.
Madeline’s body was then discovered days later on Friday 1 March.
Mr Sterns is facing multiple charges in connection to her disappearance but, so far, no charges have been filed against him or any others in relation to Madeline’s death.
Kissimmee Police Department announced on Tuesday morning that new charges had been filed against 37-year-old Mr Sterns.
The new charges include: eight counts of sexual battery on a child under 12; five counts of sexual battery with a child aged 12 to 18; seven counts of lewd and lascivious molestation and 40 counts of unlawful possession of materials depicting sexual performance by a child 10 or more images. He is being held without bond.
The new charges come after court documents outlined alleged abuse carried out by Mr Sterns in Madeline’s home over the past two years.
Images and videos found on the suspect’s phone showed abuse dating back to August 2022, when the victim was 11 years old, the affidavit said.
Madeline’s birthday matches that of the victim identified in those documents.
Mr Sterns had claimed that he had accidentally performed a factory reset of his phone the day Madeline vanished – but authorities were still able to retrieve the data.
“We appreciate the efforts of our partners in the State Attorney’s Office in assisting with seeking justice for Madeline,” Kissimmee Chief of Police Betty Holland said in a statement announcing the latest charges.
“With this being a complex case with many facets, our work is not done, and we are continuing our investigation into the timeline leading up to Madeline's death.”
Madeline was reported missing on Monday 26 February after Mr Sterns claimed he had dropped her off close to her school.
However, she never showed up for class and police later said that they believed she was already dead earlier that morning.
Video footage obtained by Orange County Sheriff’s Office, which originally led the case, showed Mr Sterns disposing of items in a dumpster. Madeline’s school bag and laptop were later found in the dumpster.
Footage also allegedly showed Madeline in Mr Sterns’ car, but officers believe she was already dead at this point.
OCSO arrested him two days later, after finding some initial material on his phone which they said was “disturbing”.
Mr Sterns now faces an arraignment hearing on the new charges on 2 April.