The boyfriend of Madeline Soto’s mother is arrested as a suspect in the girl’s disappearance

• The case of Madeline Soto: the mother’s boyfriend, Stephan Sterns, is arrested
• Stephan Sterns was taken to prison
• They say what they found on his phone

The investigations into the case of Madeline Soto take a disturbing turn.

The 13-year-old girl who disappeared on her way to school, after authorities arrested her mother’s boyfriend as the main suspect in her disappearance.

This involves «Stephan Sterns, Madeline’s mother’s boyfriend, who was the last confirmed person to see her on the morning of February 26th,» reported the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

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Downcast, handcuffed with his hands behind his back, dressed in white and without raising his gaze, the suspect walked escorted by two officers towards the patrol car that would take him to prison.

Sterns has been charged with «sexual assault and possession of child abuse material,» stated the Sheriff’s Office.

His arrest was executed nearly 72 hours after Maddie’s mother, Jenn Soto, sought support from county authorities because her daughter never arrived at school.

«Through the work of our Digital Forensic Unit, detectives discovered images and videos on Sterns’ phone that were criminal and of a sexual nature,» stated the law enforcement agency.

The disappearance of Madeline Soto

The audiovisual material was deemed «disturbing» by the investigators, as stated in their report.

Furthermore, they highlighted the suspect’s intentions to dispose of the evidence.

«A review of the phone data revealed his attempts to erase the evidence,» it can be read.

The detectives explained that the images and videos on Sterns’ phone reportedly took place in a family home in Kissimmee, kilometers away from Orlando, where the Hispanic family resides.

Arrest of Stephan Sterns, boyfriend of the girl’s mother

Due to the fact that the alleged crime occurred in another locality, officers from the Kissimmee Police Department have taken on the investigation into the sexual assault.

They have thus joined the team from the Criminal Investigations Division working on Maddie’s case.

Although authorities did not make it clear whether the findings are connected to Soto’s disappearance, they emphasized in their statement that «Sterns is considered the prime suspect at this time,» reiterated the Sheriff’s Office.

There are still no traces of the Hunter’s Creek high school student.

They find the worst on your phone

According to official information, Madeline’s mother’s boyfriend was responsible for taking her to school on the morning of her disappearance.

However, for reasons still unknown, he dropped her off a mile away, in the parking lot of the Peace United Methodist Church, on Town Loop Boulevard.

Over 100 officers and disappearance experts have joined the search and tracking efforts in the area near the school and the church.

Meanwhile, family members, friends, and neighbors have focused on distributing flyers with Maddie’s photograph.

What happened to the girl?

«Sterns had the opportunity tonight to be honest with detectives and help them obtain information about Maddie’s disappearance. Her loved ones deserve answers,» said Orange County Sheriff John Mina.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Kissimmee Police Department have publicly committed to not resting until they obtain information on the student’s whereabouts.

While authorities search for clues, a flyer featuring the smiling face of a girl continues to circulate on social media.

In hopes that someone will reach out at 407-254-7000 or 911 with accurate information about her whereabouts.