A Florida teen’s missing mother’s boyfriend has been listed as a person of interest after police say they found “disturbing” images on her cell phone.
Madeline “Maddie” Soto was reported missing after failing to show up to school on Monday. Law enforcement searched the area around Orlando but found no trace of the girl, who turned 13 the day before her disappearance.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Maddie’s mother’s boyfriend, Stephen Stearns, was driving her to school Monday morning. Instead of dropping her off at her line of cars, the man left her in the parking lot of Peace United Methodist Church several blocks away, authorities said.
When Maddie’s mother arrived at school that afternoon to pick her up, she was informed that Maddie had not yet arrived for her first period class.
More than 100 deputies spent two days searching for the girl. On Wednesday, police announced that Stearns was arrested on unrelated charges of sexual assault and possession of child sexual abuse material stemming from a search of his cell phone.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina said at a news conference that the images were “disturbing.” He did not say whether Madi was in the images, but said the photos and videos appeared to have been taken at his family’s home.
Mina also claimed that Starnes unsuccessfully tried to delete some of the photos and videos.
The newspaper has learned that Stearns is being held without bail. He exercised his right to an attorney, but it is unclear whether he hired an attorney authorized to speak on his behalf.
Stearns’ arrest shocked those who knew him. “He doesn’t seem like the type,” his friend Joey Carreras told the Post. “I always thought he was a family-oriented, straightforward type of guy. He doesn’t know what to think.”
Stearns has not been arrested or charged in connection with Maddy’s disappearance, but the Orange County Sheriff’s Office stated in the press release He is considered the “prime suspect” in the case.
“Stephen Stearns had the opportunity tonight to reveal the truth to detectives and help lead detectives to information regarding Maddie’s disappearance,” Sheriff Mina said. “Her loved ones deserve answers. OCSO and the Kissimmee Police Department will not stop until they find Maddie.”
As police continue to search for Maddie, her family remains hopeful that Maddie is still alive.
“We’re trying to hope for the best, but we’re worried about her,” said her mother, Jen Soto. Talk to FOX 35. “I want her to be okay. I want her to be safe. I don’t want her to come back hurt. I just want her back – that’s what I want her to be. I just want her back, whatever that means.”
