A Florida man pleaded guilty on Monday to sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl who was murdered last year.
Stephan Sterns, 38, pleaded guilty to raping Madeline Soto and no contest to murdering her. Soto was the daughter of Sterns’ girlfriend. WFTV reported these pleas were made just a day before his trial was set to start for child sex crimes related to Soto.
Soto went missing on February 26, and Sterns initially claimed he had dropped her off at school on that day. However, Orange County Sheriff John Mina stated they now believe that this was a fabrication. Mina suggested that “she was already dead at the time and that Stephan Sterns moved her body in the early morning hours that day.”
Allegedly, Sterns was seen disposing of a child’s belongings in a dumpster on the morning Soto disappeared. Reports indicate that authorities found a laptop and backpack among the discarded items.
On March 1, Soto’s body was reportedly found in a wooded area in Osceola County. Sterns was reportedly in the area changing a tire just days prior. An autopsy determined she was strangled.
Video evidence of Sterns raping Soto was discovered in his phone during the teen’s disappearance. The abuse reportedly started when Soto was eight.
WFTV reported that plea negotiations — which Soto’s family approved — started last week. Sterns possibly faced execution if convicted of Soto’s murder.
[Feature Photo: Orange County police]
