The prime suspect in the murder of a 13-year-old Florida girl whose body was found after being missing for a week faces 60 additional child sex charges, authorities announced Tuesday.
Stephen Stearns, 37, was charged with eight counts of sexual assault of a child under 12, five counts of sexual assault of a child between 12 and 18, seven counts of lewd and lascivious sexual abuse of a child. He is charged with 40 counts of unlawful possession of material depicting sexual acts. He is a child, according to the Kissimmee Police Department.
Stearns was the boyfriend of Jennifer Soto, the mother of Madeline Soto, whose body was found days after she went missing on Feb. 26.
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Stephen Stearns, the suspect in the murder of 13-year-old Madeline Soto, will be indicted on 60 additional child sex crimes charges, prosecutors announced Tuesday. (Orange County Sheriff’s Office)
Kissimmee Police Chief Betty Holland said, “We appreciate the efforts of our partners at the State Attorney’s Office in assisting Madeline in her pursuit of justice.” “This is a complex case with many facets, so our work is far from over and we continue to investigate the timeline leading up to Madeline’s death.”
Shortly after Madeline went missing, investigators found “disturbing” images and videos of Madeline on Stearns’ cell phone, police said. He was initially arrested on charges of sexual assault of a child, capital sexual assault, and possession of material depicting sexual acts by a child, and remains in custody.
“The State Attorney’s Office has been working closely with KPD and has obtained evidence that provides the basis for formal charges against Mr. Stearns,” State Attorney Andrew Bain said in a statement. “We appreciate the thoroughness and sensitivity of their investigation and will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to develop a strong case against the defendants.”
Officials said Madeline Soto never went to school on February 26 and was found several days later. (Orange County Sheriff’s Office)
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Orange County Sheriff John Mina said the additional charges came days after Madeline’s body was discovered on March 1. The last time Madeline was seen was on February 26, when Stearns was supposed to have dropped her off at school.
Madeline was unharmed and authorities said they believed she had died that morning. Authorities said Stearns allegedly threw his backpack and school-issued laptop in the trash before moving on him.
