KISSIMMEE, Fla. (TCD) — A 13-year-old girl was found dead in the woods days after failing to attend school.
Madeline Soto was last seen on Monday, February 26th. Around 8:30 a.m., her mother's boyfriend allegedly dropped her off near Hunters Creek Middle School. When Soto's mother picked her up from school that afternoon, she discovered the teen never showed up.
The mother contacted the sheriff's office and officials began an extensive search.
According to Orange County Sheriff John Mina, investigators were able to access the cell phone Soto had left at home that day and found a message saying she wanted to “live in the woods” when she turned 13. Soto's birthday was February 22nd.
Feb. 28, Orange County Sheriff's Office I announced my mother's boyfriend., Stephan Sterns was arrested on charges of sexual assault and possession of child sexual abuse material. Officials reportedly “discovered disturbing images” on Stearns' phone that were “criminal and sexual in nature.”
There is reportedly evidence that Sterns attempted to delete some content from his phone.
Madeline Soto's body has been found.
At approximately 4:30 this afternoon, Osceola County Sheriff's Office search teams discovered the body of Madeline Soto in a wooded area off Hickory Tree Road.
Madeline's family has been notified. we are… There is no additional information to announce at https://t.co/s4H8bK3IJv.
— Orange County Sheriff's Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) March 1, 2024
@OrangeCoSheriff
On March 1, two days after Stearns' arrest, Mina said at a morning news conference that investigators were “convinced” that Soto was dead because there was evidence that he had never actually been dropped off at the school.
“It is presumed that he was already dead,” Mina said. “The body was moved by Stephen Stearns early that morning.”
The video, taken at 7:35 a.m. on February 26, reportedly shows Stern throwing some items into a trash can at the apartment complex where he lived. When detectives later searched, they found Soto's backpack and a school-issued laptop inside the trash can.
At approximately 8:19 a.m., Stearns returned to the apartment complex, but reportedly found Soto in the car. However, her investigators believe she has died.
On March 1, law enforcement officials announced that Soto's body was found in a wooded area in Kissimmee.
Sterns' arrest warrant identifies him as Soto's stepfather. In an interview with his detectives, Stearns said he “accidentally factory reset my phone” the day Soto went missing. Investigators detailed in the warrant some of the sexual images they found on his phone involving Soto. Police also reportedly found some of the clothing worn by Soto and Stearns in photos and videos.
According to WKMG-TV, A photo of Soto's body at the scene was reportedly shared on Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez's official Instagram account with the caption, “A great day with our seniors.”
A Sheriff's Office spokesperson told WKMG, “A post regarding a senior community event was posted on social media this morning. The post inadvertently included a photo of the investigation. The photo was immediately removed.” We apologize for any confusion or confusion this may cause. As with all investigations, information obtained is confidential and any incorrect disclosures will be promptly corrected.”
Andrew Bain, the state's attorney for the 9th Judicial District, said he was “very disturbed” by the leaked photos.
Sterns was transported from the Orange County Jail to the Osceola County Jail, where he is being held without bond.
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