Sheriff apparently posts photo of dead 13-year-old girl

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Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez, middle, landed in hot water after a photo apparently showing the body of 13-year-old Madeline “Maddie” Soto, left, was posted to his Instagram page. Her mother’s boyfriend, Stephan Sterns, was arrested after cops found “disturbing” photos on his phone. (Images of Maddie and Sterns: Orange County Sheriff’s Office; Image of Lopez: Law&Crime Network)

A sheriff in Florida has landed himself in trouble after a photo was accidentally posted to his Instagram page that appears to show the body of a 13-year-old girl found dead in a rural field.

The Orlando Sentinel reports the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office on Monday issued an apology after the photo was posted to Sheriff Marcos Lopez’s Instagram page on Saturday, less than 24 hours after the body of Madeline “Maddie” Soto was found in a rural field.

“On March 2, 2024, a post was made on social media about a community event for seniors. In the post, an investigative photo was accidentally included. The photo was immediately removed. We deeply apologize for any confusion or disturbance this may have caused. As with any investigation, the information obtained is confidential and any mistaken disclosures will be immediately rectified,” the statement sent to Law&Crime said.

It is considered a third-degree felony in the state of Florida for anyone who “willfully and knowingly” releases the photo of a dead minor who was the victim of domestic violence without the family’s permission.

The sheriff’s office declined to confirm that the photo showed Maddie’s remains, but the clothes on the body matched what Maddie was reportedly last seen wearing.

Outrage was swift.

“(I) am deeply disturbed that (the photos) were carelessly made public, albeit as an accident according to a statement by the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office,” Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Andrew Bain said in an email to local CBS affiliate WKMG. “While I do not believe these photos will have any evidentiary impact on the case as of now, they were released in poor taste.”

Russ Gibson, Lopez’s predecessor as sheriff who is again running against him in an election later this year, said in a social media post that several people contacted him on Saturday when the photo was posted.

“This is 100% unacceptable and 100% shameful and disrespectful to Madeline, her family and friends,” Gibson wrote. “I do have a copy of the post but out of respect and reverence for Miss Madeline, the photograph will not be posted. The time for Marcos Lopez and certain members of his administration of dishonoring themselves, our agency, and our great county is coming to an end!”

Maddie’s mother reported her missing when she came to pick her up at Hunter’s Creek Middle School but she wasn’t there. Her mother’s boyfriend, 37-year-old Stephan Sterns, claimed he dropped her off near the school that morning. But the Orange County Sheriff’s Office learned he never dropped her off. Surveillance video showed her apparently dead as he drove his vehicle in their Kissimmee apartment complex the morning of Feb. 26. Deputies also found images on his phone of him having sex with Maddie in 2022, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit.

The Kissimmee Police Department arrested Sterns on charges of capital sexual battery of a minor under 12 and possession of materials showing sexual performance by a child. He has yet to be charged in her death but authorities have called him the “prime suspect.” Sterns is at the Osceola County Jail without bond.

Osceola County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office Executive Director Nirva Rodríguez posted this selfie to her Facebook page showing her with Stephan Sterns, the prime suspect in the death of 13-year-old Madeline “Maddie” Soto. According to the Orlando Sentinel the post read: “If God’s love has been poured out over your life, don’t allow evil to keep you away from what He has prepared for you.” It has since been deleted. (Nirva Rodríguez/Facebook)

Lopez’s post isn’t the only one from the sheriff’s office relating to the case that has sparked outrage.

Another staff member of the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, Executive Director Nirva Rodríguez, posted on her social media page a selfie photo with Sterns in the background as deputies led him out of the sheriff’s office. According to the Sentinel the post, written in Spanish, translates to “If God’s love has been poured out over your life, don’t allow evil to keep you away from what He has prepared for you.”

That photo has since been deleted.