Madeline Soto case: Stephan Sterns allowed to wear suit at sex crimes trial
Stephan Sterns allows to wear suit during trial
A judge ruled that Stephan Sterns, the Florida man accused of abusing and killing Madeline Soto, 30, in 2024, will be allowed to wear a suit during his sexual abuse trial, and be allowed to use a felt tip pen. He will have to wear stun-cuffs on his ankles, however. Sterns' trial on the sexual abuse charges is set to begin in July, while the trial for Soto's alleged murder is set to begin in the fall.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Stephan Sterns, the man accused of sexually abusing and killing 13-year-old Madeline Soto, was in court on Monday for a pre-trial hearing. He is charged with some 60 counts of sexual abuse involving Soto. That sex abuse trial is expected to start next week. His trial on the murder charge is not scheduled until the fall.
On Monday, lawyers for Sterns' and the state worked with the judge to set various conditions for trial, including what Sterns can wear and if he would be in handcuffs or not.
Stephan Sterns | Sex crimes trial motion hearing 7/14/2025
Judge: Sterns allowed to wear suit during trial
Here are some of the conditions that the judge is allowing at Stephan Sterns' upcoming trial:
- Sterns will be able to wear a suit during the trial, and he will not have to wear his prison uniform.
- He will not have handcuffs around his wrist. However, he will have to wear ankle stun-cuffs.
- He will be allowed to sit at the table with his attorneys.
- He will be allowed to use a felt-tip pen during the trial.
The defense previously asked the judge to close all pre-trial hearings. That motion was denied.
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Who is Stephan Sterns?
Stephan Sterns was arrested and booked into the Orange County jail on charges of sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material after detectives found "disturbing" images on his phone, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said.
Stephan Sterns was the live-in boyfriend of Jennifer Soto, Madeline Soto's mom. He lived there with the teenager, her mom, and a third roommate, officials said.
Sterns told detectives that he was tasked with driving Soto to school on the day she was reported missing. However, when her mom went to pick her up, she learned from school officials that Soto was not at school that day, prompting an immediate search for her.
Sterns is charged with 60 counts of sex abuse-related charges after explicit photos between him and the teenager were allegedly found on his cell phone amid the search for the teenager. He is also facing a first-degree murder charge.
Soto's body was found five-days later in a grassy field in Osceola County.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Who is Maddie Soto?
Madeline Soto, 13-year-old girl who was reported missing on Feb. 26, 2024. Soto's body was found on March 1 in a grassy field in a remote part of Osceola County. Stephan Sterns has been charged in her murder.
Madeline "Maddie" Soto was a 13-year-old girl who was reported missing on Feb. 26, 2024. Maddie had just celebrated her 13th birthday on February 22.
Madeline was a student at Hunter's Creek Middle School in Orlando. She lived with her mom, Sterns and an adult roommate in Kissimmee.
After a five-day frantic search, Soto's body was found on March 1 in a grassy field in a remote part of Osceola County. A medical examiner would determine that Soto died by strangulation.
More stories:
- Watch: Stephan Sterns 2-hour interrogation amid Madeline Soto disappearance
- Madeline Soto update: Will the media, public be banned from Stephan Sterns' pretrial court hearings?
- Maddie Soto update: Stephen Sterns jailhouse calls released
- Judge denies Stephan Sterns' motion to ban the press, public from his pre-trial hearings
Trial of Stephan Sterns: When does it start?
Jury selection is expected to begin on July 22. Opening statements would ideally begin on July 25, according to the judge.
The Source: This story was written based on information gathered from Stephan Sterns' motion hearing on July 14, 2025, in Osceola County. Information from previous reporting was also included, which came from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the North Port Police Department, and documents from the Orange County Clerk of Courts and Osceola County Clerk of Courts.