Stephan Sterns faces 60 new charges in Madeline Soto disappearance, death case, police say

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. - The State Attorney's Office on Tuesday filed 60 new criminal charges against Stephan Sterns, the "prime suspect" in the disappearance and death of Madeline Soto, a 13-year-old girl whose body was found in Osceola County after she was thought to be missing for a week. Sterns has not yet been charged for Soto's death as of Tuesday. 

Sterns, who is the boyfriend of Madeline Soto's mother Jennifer Soto, has been charged with: 

• 8 counts of sexual battery of a child under 12
• 5 counts of sexual battery with a child aged 12 to 18
• 7 counts of lewd and lascivious molestation
• 40 counts of unlawful possession of materials depicting sexual performance by a child (10 or more images)

The 36-page affidavit obtained by FOX 35 details all 60 counts of what Sterns is accused of, but FOX 35 is choosing not to release the details listed in the affidavit due to their graphic nature. 

The document does not name a victim, but does include a date range of how long Sterns has allegedly been in possession of graphic materials or when the alleged abuse started – June 19, 2019. That range tops out on Feb. 26, 2024 – the day Madeline Soto was last seen. A previous affidavit from the Kissimmee Police Department said that Sterns performed a "factory reset" on his phone on that day. 

While it remains unclear who the victim or victims are, if one of them is Madeline Soto, she would have been 8 years old when the alleged crimes began. The affidavit said Sterns was in a "position of familial or custodial authority" when he allegedly committed some of the sexual batteries. 

NEW DETAILS: Stephan Sterns may have abused Madeline Soto years before her disappearance, death: affidavit 

It also remains unclear exactly how many images Sterns was allegedly in possession of, but each count says he was in possession of "10 or more images." That means he could have been in possession of at least 400 images of "any form of child pornography." 

According to the affidavit, "the content of at least one image contains one or more of the following: a child who is younger than the age of five, sadomasochistic abuse involving a child, sexual battery involving a child, sexual bestiality involving a child, or any movie involving a child, regardless of length and regardless of whether the movie contains sound."

Sterns will be arraigned on the charges on April 2. According to the State Attorney's Office, sexual battery on a child under 12 is a capital felony and is punishable by life in prison or death if convicted. His other charges carry sentences of up to life in prison, or 15 years in prison for each count. 

"We appreciate the efforts of our partners in the State Attorney’s Office in assisting with seeking justice for Madeline," said Kissimmee Chief of Police Betty Holland. "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."

He remains in custody at the Osceola County Jail after he was arrested Feb. 28 on unrelated charges after he voluntarily turned his phone over to law enforcement during the search for his girlfriend's daughter, including sexual battery and possession of child sex abuse material. The night of his arrest, the Orange County Sheriff's Office named him the "prime suspect" in Madeline Soto's disappearance. 

"The State Attorney’s Office has been working closely with KPD and received evidence that gave us cause to file formal charges against Sterns," State Attorney Andrew Bain said. "We appreciate the thoroughness and detailed attention of their investigation and will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to build a strong case against the defendant."

The charges come just over two weeks after Madeline Soto's body was found on the afternoon of March 1 off Old Hickory Tree Road in rural Osceola County, officials said. She was found in this area – where Sterns was last seen possibly changing a flat tire on Monday afternoon – wearing clothing similar to what she was last seen in. 

"At 8:19, we have evidence that shows Stephan Sterns returning to the complex, and Madeline was visible in that vehicle," Sheriff Mina said during a press conference last week. "We believe she was already dead at that time."

Madeline Soto was last seen on the morning of Feb. 26, officials said. Sterns is said to have dropped her off at school that day, but Orange County Sheriff John Mina said she never made it. It's believed that Madeline Soto was actually dead already on Monday morning, and Sterns allegedly moved her body after disposing of her backpack and school-issued laptop in a dumpster in Kissimmee. 

REMEMBERING MADDIE: Community rattled after body of Madeline Soto found

Since Sterns' arrest, he has not spoken to law enforcement about his alleged involvement, Sheriff Mina said. 

On Saturday, Sterns was a no-show in Osceola County court. His lawyer didn't want the judge reading out the charges.

Former Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolón said Sterns may have thought he could fool investigators. 

"This is a perfect example of someone who probably thought, 'Eh, I can get away with this,' and fortunately everything is now pointing to the fact that he had now been caught for the murder of this child," he said.