Murdered Florida schoolgirl Madeline Soto's stepfather is charged with SIXTY child porn and sex abuse crimes - but not with the 13-year-old's killing
Stephan Sterns, 37, was charged with a slew of new charges on Tuesday involving childrenSterns was already faces charges of sexual battery of a child, and was being held without bond at the Osceola Count JailHe has not been charged in connection with the Soto's death though he is a prime suspect in the young girl's disappeaerance and death
Murdered Florida schoolgirl Madeline Soto’s stepfather has been charged with sixty child porn and sex abuse crimes, but not with the 13-year-old’s killing despite being a prime suspect.
Stephan Sterns, 37, the boyfriend of Jenn Soto, Madeline’s mother, was charged with a slew of new charges on Tuesday involving children.
The charges include: sexual battery on a child under 12; five counts of sexual battery of a child aged 12 to 8; seven counts of lewd and lascivious molestation. Additionally, 40 counts of unlawful possession of 10 or more images depicting a sexual performance by a child, according to the Kissimmee Police Department.
Sterns was already faces charges of sexual battery of a child under 12, and was being held without bond at the Osceola Count Jail.
Officials said he has not been charged in connection with the Soto’s death.
Madeline ‘Maddie” Soto went missing on February 26, a day after she celebrated her 13th birthday that was on February 22nd
Stephan Sterns, 37, was charged with a slew of new charges on Tuesday including, sexual battery on a child under 12; five counts of sexual battery of a child aged 12-18; seven counts of lewd and lascivious molestation
Soto’s body was found in a wooded area of Osceola County on March 1
Stearns supposedly drove his stepdaughter to school on the morning of February 26, and claimed that he dropped her off at a nearby church.
When Soto’s mom went to pick her daughter up at her middle school, Hunter’s Creek Middle School, she discovered that her daughter never showed up at school.
The frantic mother called police and filed a missing person’s report.
Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputies searched extensively for the teen using bloodhounds as they canvassed the school grounds and nearby area, eventually widening their search.
Missing posters of Maddie Soto are distributed, and a press conference is held by the Orange County Sheriff John Mina.
On February 28, three days after Soto went missing, Stearns is arrested on unrelated charges and named ‘prime suspect’ in the case.
On March 1, Stearns is moved by police from Orange County to Osceola County.
The sheriff announces investigators ‘are now confident’ the missing 13-year-old is dead.
Soto’s body was found in woods during a coordinated search in the area off Hickory Tree Road around 4.30pm Friday afternon. She was in the clothes she was last wearing – a green sweatshirt, black shorts and white Crocs.