KISSIMMEE, Fla. (Court TV) — Stephan Sterns faces a busy year in 2025 with two dates now set for him to stand trial on murder and sex charges.
Stephan Sterns is accused of sexually abusing Madeline Soto, who was found dead days after her reported disappearance. (Kissimmee Police Department/Osceola County Sheriff’s Office)
Sterns is charged with murdering 13-year-old Madeline Soto, his girlfriend’s daughter, as well as sexually abusing the child for years before her death.
On Monday, a judge scheduled two trials for Sterns: In February, he will first stand trial on dozens of charges of sexual battery of a minor and possession of child pornography. Then, in September, he will return in front of the same judge to stand trial on murder charges.
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Sterns has not been present at any of his court hearings since his arrest.
Soto was reported missing on Feb. 26 after her mother said she tried to pick the teenager up from school, only to learn that Soto never arrived that day. As police began to investigate her disappearance, they found more than 1500 disturbing images and videos of the child on his phone. Days later, on March 1, Soto’s body was found. The coroner determined she had been strangled.
In the months since Soto’s murder, interviews with Sterns and Soto’s mother have revealed a disturbing picture of the child’s home life, where she was often sent to bed to sleep next to Sterns alone.
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Sterns has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. Soto’s mother has denied any knowledge of the abuse and has not been charged. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Sterns if he is convicted on the murder charges.
