Madeline Soto, 13, Allegedly Shared Bed with Mom's Boyfriend, Who'd 'Snuggle' Her, Mom Told Police in Interview

Mar. 15, 2025

Orange County Sheriff’s Office

Madeline Soto’s disappearance in February preceded murder charges being filed against her mother’s boyfriend — and Soto’s mother allegedly allowed her 13-year-old daughter share a bed with the man for years, the mother told investigators in Florida.

Madeline was reported missing on on Feb. 26, in Kissimmee, Fla., and her mother’s boyfriend,Stephan Sterns, 37,was arrested days later on unrelated charges of possessing child sex abuse material, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said at the time. He is now charged with murder in connection with the girl’s death.

The investigation uncovered photos and videos on Sterns' phone of him allegedly sexually abusing a child,WESH,WFLAandFOX 35reported at the time, citing an arrest affidavit.

During the interview with an Orange County officer, Jennifer is seen saying that she, her daughter and Sterns often slept in the same bed at night, and that on many of these occasions, Sterns would allegedly be in his boxers. Jennifer alleges in the video that sometimes she would wake up in the morning to see her boyfriend “snuggling” her daughter.

When the officer asks her if she ever thought that was “weird,” she says no.

Madeline would be in the “nook of his arm,’” she says in the interview, during which she breaks down several times.

Stephan Sterns.Orange County jail

Orange County jail

Jennifer spoke to investigators more than once, and during a previous exchange, she’d been made aware that Sterns allegedly had child sex abuse material on his phone — including images of Sterns allegedly abusing Madeline.

At one point in the interview, when the officer tells her that her distress appears insincere to him, Jennifer says she had been"oblivious" about Sterns' alleged sexual abuseof Madeline, which police allege dated as far back as 2020.

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Online court records do not indicate whether Sterns has pleaded to the murder charge. He has pleaded not guilty to 60 counts of sexual abuse charges, per theOsceola News-Gazette. PEOPLE was not immediately able to reach his attorney.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

source: people.com