Found Deceased FL - Madeline Soto, 13, Missing Child Alert, 13500 blk Town Loop Blvd, Orlando, 26 Feb 2024 *arrest*

[MassGuy]

I am holding out hope that this dear child is alive.

Speculation only: If his real estate license is inactive, has he been pretending to work but actually making money from the most evil of crimes?

Also maybe someone had the idea that a crime against a 13-year-old is treated differently than against a 12-year-old, so as soon as she was 13...

These guys don’t seem to think they’ll be caught in the first place, so I can’t imagine there would be any concern whether she was 13, or younger, which she was when the abuse appears to have begun.

The only thing that makes sense to me is that he used her phone to write that, taking advantage of her birthday to advance some scenario where she ran off voluntarily.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

These guys don’t seem to think they’ll be caught in the first place, so I can’t imagine there would be any concern whether she was 13, or younger, which she was when the abuse appears to have begun.

I had the thought someone else could have not wanted to be caught with a 12-year-old, and so she could still be alive.

He could have faked text messages about her wanting to live in the woods and done this anytime. Why tie it to a birthday?

Then again it could be his own crazy reason that makes sense only to him.

 

[MollyHarps]

Warrant has been posted.
It's bad. Really, really bad.
GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING.

https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/FLCIKISS/2024/02/29/file_attachments/2799407/Sterns.24-001809.pdf

This has turned my stomach and made me so sad. Vile vile vile man

This poor girl the suffering she must have experienced over a sustained period of time.

I really hope she has just ran away - if she has I hope she sees that she is safe now and this monster can no longer hurt her.

I believe the turning 13 has some significance in this case - it makes me sick writing this but I wonder if at 13 she had served her purpose to him..she’s no longer a child so to speak but a teen.

Also my thoughts go to the police who had to view this footage and analyse it - that must’ve been an harrowing job to do.

 

[LiamF]

Poor Madeline, I hope and pray she got away from this monster but his every behaviour is evasive and indicative that he has murdered her. Giving up her final location might spare him the death penalty, I think he deserves it regardless of whether he does or not. The poor Mom is going to be forever tormented by this, self blaming. There is evil in the world and unfortunately it presents itself in many forms. Heartbreaking.

 

[modesty blaise]

I am holding out hope that this dear child is alive.

Speculation only: If his real estate license is inactive, has he been pretending to work but actually making money from the most evil of crimes?

Also maybe someone had the idea that a crime against a 13-year-old is treated differently than against a 12-year-old, so as soon as she was 13...

I'm thinking something happened that would be very obvious in a few months. I keep staring at the birthday picture.

 

[Sheila Terranova]

These guys don’t seem to think they’ll be caught in the first place, so I can’t imagine there would be any concern whether she was 13, or younger, which she was when the abuse appears to have begun.

The only thing that makes sense to me is that he used her phone to write that, taking advantage of her birthday to advance some scenario where she ran off voluntarily.

I don’t think she ran off mainly for two reasons. One, not only was this pedophile the last one to see her and he dropped her off a block away …out of character… and weirdly convenient, but two, where would she go? Runaways are recorded these days in video, IDs required even for a greyhound bus.

 

[BrownRice]

What time did he mistakenly perform a factory reset on his phone? Was it prior to MS being reported missing?

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Just hours before Stephan Sterns was arrested for sexual battery and possession of child sex abuse material he spoke to Channel 9 crying and pleading for help to find Madeline.

“I dropped her off early, but I could have waited longer,” Sterns told Channel 9 Tuesday beside Madeline’s mom

Madeline Soto search: Mother’s boyfriend performed factory reset on phone, report shows

According to the arrest affidavit, family and friends said it was unusual for Madeline to be dropped off down the street.

www.wftv.com

An arrest affidavit stated Stearns voluntarily handed over his phone to investigators, telling them he had "accidentally performed a factory reset" on the device the day Soto was reported missing.

During an interview with Jenn Soto on February 27, Stearns can be seen in the background fidgeting with his hands and cracking his knuckles.

"That’s a way to release tension," said Susan Constantine. "The point is tension is one of the 27 points of interest. Points of interest that can lead to possible deception or suspect behavior."

"How frustrating is it when you have a prime suspect who is refusing to play ball, or give up information, or just answer questions," asked FOX 35’s Hannah Mackenzie.

"It’s especially frustrating in cases involving children because it just seems so right in human nature to tell everything you know," Nutting responded. "This is a truly innocent victim. Maddie is a young girl who did not live a high-risk lifestyle, and she’s apparently with this monster, and it’s just frustrating. Why can’t you tell us what happened? Let’s resolve this case and bring Maddie back home."

Body language of Madeline Soto's mom's boyfriend assessed by body language expert

The family of missing 13-year-old Maddie Soto is holding out hope for her safe return. She has not been seen since Monday and her mother's boyfriend is the prime suspect in her disappearance.

www.fox35orlando.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Arrest Warrant Affidavit:
*GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING*

https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/FLCIKISS/2024/02/29/file_attachments/2799407/Sterns.24-001809.pdf

 

[Megnut]

Maybe it isn't what the cctv shows but what it doesn't show. No vehicle, no girl....

Predators lie.

jmo

 

[Ontario Mom]

Not that I'm aware of. Total radio silence.

I can't even imagine her horror, learning what we all know now.
If I were in her shoes I'm not sure what I'd be capable of, in that state of shock.

As for Madeline, and hoping she did actually run away, I can also only imagine what she might be thinking now, realizing the whole world knows what he did to her. If that's the case, and she is just hiding out somewhere, I do hope she knows it's safe to come home now.

Yes, hoping against what is the usual outcome of situations like this.

 

[Citia19791]

I hope if Madeline ran away, she is in a safe place and hasn’t fallen victim to more predators.
I vaguely remember a case a few years ago in the US where a teenage girl had been abused by her dad or stepdad and met a guy online who got her to record the abuse as proof. He then convinced her to run away to stay with him under the guise of helping her.

 

[lightofmine99]

Arrest Warrant Affidavit:

"Possession of Material Sexual Performance of a Child" *poss NSFW*

Uh, wow, that is some extremely jarring wording. Admittedly I have not read many arrest affidavits for sexual crimes but I have not seen a charge with this title before. Is this only Florida that calls it that? Not saying that it is bad they call it that, but that sentence is a bit more disturbing to read as opposed to like, "possession of child abuse material" which I have seen more frequently.

Then again it could be his own crazy reason that makes sense only to him.

Yeah I think it's important to remember that "people" like this do not think the same way normal people do.

 

[Occam's Zebra]

I had to have a bitter laugh at whoever described this guy as mom's "life partner". It's almost as if they knew that children are at risk from mom's boyfriend and wanted to act like he was more than just a boyfriend. But then within 24 hours, the "life partner" is suspect #1.

I wonder if he refused to marry mom but hung around for access to the girl.

Some people don't care for the terms "boyfriend"/"girlfriend" for people of a certain age. If they lived together as romantic partners, then he was indeed her life partner. It doesn't excuse what he did or make him any more impressive than using the term "boyfriend" - it just doesn't make him sound like he's 17.

 

[modesty blaise]

I hope if Madeline ran away, she is in a safe place and hasn’t fallen victim to more predators.
I vaguely remember a case a few years ago in the US where a teenage girl had been abused by her dad or stepdad and met a guy online who got her to record the abuse as proof. He then convinced her to run away to stay with him under the guise of helping her.

Yes yes it was a very big case here on ws.

 

[Sjöberg]

Sterns gave consent for his phone to be searched and reportedly said he accidentally performed a factory reset 2024-02-26

I repeat what was said earlier: if it was done after she was found out to be missing - she really might even be alive. If it was done before she was found out to be missing - I don't think there's any hope left. LE has never said the time. If it was 01:00 AM, it is very bad. If it was around 8-9 AM, it is bad. If it was whenever he could have found out about her being missing, there is hope. I know it's small, but I cling to it.

As for Madeline, and hoping she did actually run away, I can also only imagine what she might be thinking now, realizing the whole world knows what he did to her. If that's the case, and she is just hiding out somewhere, I do hope she knows it's safe to come home now.

Honestly, this is one of my worries. There have been quite some examples of sexual abuse survivors who killed themselves because everyone knew - and usually these people have been with their family support and not on the (inter)national media.
I am conflicted, on the one side I feel like I want to ban all reporting on all sexual abuse for the survivor's sake, on the other hand I feel like the stigma itself should be overcome and it should be talked about more.

It's easy to say "overcome", though, but if there are written stories of yourself being penetrated and whatnot on the internet... Yes, I would not react kindly to be told to "overcome the stigma".

I know it's really unlikely she is alive, but I do hope that she is. There's therapy, meds, changing names, moving states or countries. She is just a kid. There will be new news and the story will drown. Man, I pray she is alive.

Edit: I still think the "when I am 13" part is odd. And I don't really think they were sent by the abuser, though it is possible. It really sounds like something a kid would say because someone else said something about the age of 13. What something? What changes at 13?

Also, have her teachers been talking about her? Long-time abuse cases are always hard on teachers - the what if's etc.

 

[Jenesaisquoi]

Maybe she was just looking forward to her birthday.

Or maybe she has become too old for him and he is pressuring her to find him a younger friend.

Bless her. Hope she has just run off.

 

[CTPDMom]

I'm thinking something happened that would be very obvious in a few months. I keep staring at the birthday picture.

That's definitely a possiblity, and a catalyst for a predator to take some kind of action if that were the case.

 

[MassGuy]

I don’t think she ran off mainly for two reasons. One, not only was this pedophile the last one to see her and he dropped her off a block away …out of character… and weirdly convenient, but two, where would she go? Runaways are recorded these days in video, IDs required even for a greyhound bus.

In addition, this is exactly what a murder investigation looks like, despite law enforcement not saying that’s what it is. I think they’re analyzing footage and his phone records in order to locate her body.

 

[BrownRice]

Remember the affidavit was redacted and we don’t know she is the victim in the pictures. I feel horrible for this released information especially with all of her classmates probably reading it assuming it’s her.