We don’t know the specifics of the relationship between Stephan Sterns and the mother, and we definitely don’t know that she prioritized “her man” over her daughter, or that she was irresponsible. I don’t think it’s fair to jump to those conclusions. LE has not stated they believe the mother is involved or culpable. She is, at this point, the mother of a (presumed) victim, and she deserves kindness IMO.
One thing that is standing out to me is how quickly they found the CSAM/evidence of sexual abuse. How was it found? Were they just looking at everyone’s phones? How was it found so quickly? Did they have reason to suspect him already, so they did a more in depth search? Why would he hand his phone over? Why was the evidence so easy to find?
It’s frightening to think that someone with no known history of anything like this was apparently not going to great lengths to stay hidden, it’s just that no one knew to look.