Stephan Sterns to Attend New Plea Hearing Before Sexual Battery Trial Begins

ORLANDO, Fla. – A surprising plea hearing is set for Monday in the case involving Stephan Sterns, the Osceola County resident charged with the rape and murder of 13-year-old Madeline Soto last year.

News 6’s Mike DeForest learned of the hearing Friday afternoon.

[WATCH: News 6 series “Justice for Madeline” on YouTube]

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Sterns is supposed to go on trial for sexual battery on July 22, with his murder trial set for September.

The new hearing, however, is meant to be for both cases.

Mike DeForest is going through the documents now, and we will have updates as we get them.

[TIMELINE: The Madeline Soto case]

Sterns, 39, has pleaded not guilty to raping and murdering Soto, who was the daughter of Sterns’ former girlfriend.

Soto went missing on February 26, 2024, after she didn’t arrive at Hunter’s Creek Middle School for her classes. Sterns informed authorities he had driven Soto to school that morning.

While searching for Soto, investigators said they uncovered images on Sterns’ phone and Google Drive that showed him raping the teen.

[WATCH: Law enforcement interview with Stephan Sterns after disappearance of Madeline Soto]

Authorities found Soto’s body four days later in a wooded area near St. Cloud. The teen had been strangled to death, the medical examiner determined.

Sterns is currently facing his initial trial with 60 criminal accusations, including sexual battery on a minor under 12 years old, lewd or lascivious molestation, and unauthorized possession of materials showing a child’s sexual performance.

News 6 will also stream the hearing on Monday live.

[PREVIOUS COVERAGE: One year since murder of Madeline Soto]