ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The prime suspect in the disappearance of 13-year-old Madeline Soto has been arrested and now faces charges in connection to disturbing footage discovered on his phone, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Stephan Sterns, 37, the boyfriend of Soto’s mother, was the last person confirmed to have seen the girl Monday morning, the sheriff’s office said.
Sterns refused to show up for his first appearance, according to the judge Thursday morning.
An affidavit for Sterns’ arrest warrant describes how Soto’s mother reported Madeline missing around 8 p.m. Monday, telling investigators that Sterns had picked the girl up from her home and dropped her off that morning at Hunter’s Creek Middle School. When Soto’s mother went to the school to pick her up around 4:30 p.m. however, she was told Madeline wasn’t there and had never been at school that day, deputies said, adding the girl had left her phone at home.
Sterns faces charges of sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material, according to the sheriff’s office.
Wednesday night on social media, the sheriff’s office described Sterns’ arrest. The investigation into Soto’s disappearance had reportedly led detectives to “images and videos that were criminal, and sexual in nature” during a forensic examination of the 37-year-old’s phone, the post states. Further, detectives notified Kissimmee police upon determining “those crimes were committed at the family home in Kissimmee,” prompting the Kissimmee Police Department to take the lead on the sexual battery case alongside the sheriff’s office’s Criminal Investigations Division, according to the statement.
After being brought to OCSO Central Operations on Wednesday afternoon, Sterns was interviewed by Kissimmee police and sheriff’s office detectives, investigators said. Sterns reportedly invoked his right to an attorney before he was then arrested and taken to jail, where the sheriff’s office said it expected him to be held without bond.
The affidavit released Thursday offers more detail regarding investigators’ interview with Sterns, who told detectives he had dropped Madeline off in front of Peace United Methodist Preschool at 8:40 a.m. despite the middle school being located further down the street and beginning classes at 9:30 a.m.
A license plate reader reportedly captured Sterns’ vehicle at one point, but details regarding where and when this happened were redacted in the affidavit at the time of this report. Investigators stated they found it unusual that Madeline was said to have been dropped off down the street from the school and that she did not stay in communication with her family and friends.
Sterns gave consent for his phone to be searched, mentioning he “accidentally” performed a factory reset of the device on Feb. 26, according to the affidavit. Investigators said they discovered multiple files on the phone depicting the sexual performance of a child.
Detectives determined probable cause to believe Sterns committed sexual battery of a presently redacted nature, moving with urgency to secure an emergency arrest warrant given “urgent circumstances” and the possibility that “lack of immediate action would result in the loss of evidence or the imminent escape of the suspect,” according to the document.
“Stephan Sterns had an opportunity (Wednesday night) to come clean with detectives and help lead them to information about Maddie’s disappearance,” Orange County Sheriff John Mina said in a statement. “Her loved ones deserve answers and OCSO and the Kissimmee police will not stop until we find Maddie.”
Soto was last seen wearing a green sweatshirt, black shorts and white Crocs. She’s described as 5 feet, 1 inch tall and 110 pounds with blonde hair and blue eyes.
According to Mina, deputies who accessed Madeline’s phone found information indicating that she wanted to live in the woods when she turned 13 years old on Feb. 22.
“We can’t even imagine the pain and anguish that Madeline’s family is going through, but I do want to share the community that we have well over 100 deputies, detectives, intelligence analysts and specialized personnel who are investigating this case and searching for Madeline right now,” Mina said at a news conference. “...We want people who may know something about her disappearance, to call us. They can call us anonymously at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477). They can also also call 911 If they know what happened to Madeline.”
Victims of domestic violence can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline, available 24 hours a day at 800-799-7233.
Harbor House of Central Florida offers a 24-hour confidential crisis hotline, reachable at 407-886-2856.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: