Madeline Soto ‘slept in bed’ with mother’s boyfriend Stephan Sterns before he ‘abused and killed 13-year-old’
A 13-YEAR-OLD girl slept in the same bed as her mother’s boyfriend, who has been accused of sexually abusing and murdering the teen.
Court documents now reveal details of conversations Jennifer Soto had with police in March, just weeks after the body of her daughter Madeline Soto, 13, was found in St. Cloud, Florida, about 27 miles south of Orlando.
InstagramMadeline Soto’s mother has said it was normal for her daughter to sleep in the same bed as her boyfriend, who has been accused of murdering the teen[/caption]
Family HandoutMadeline, 13, went missing on February 26 when she failed to show up to school[/caption]
Orange County Corrections DepartmentStephan Sterns, her mother’s boyfriend, has been accused of sexually abusing and murdering her[/caption]
Madeline went missing on February 26 when she failed to show up to school.
Her body was found days later on March 1.
Now, new details surrounding the morning of her disappearance have come to light.
The documents, obtained by local NBC affiliate WESH, contain sworn statements from Kissimmee police detectives regarding separate conversations with Jennifer and her boyfriend Stephan Sterns, 37, who is facing murder charges in connection to Madeline’s death.
SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS
Jennifer reportedly spoke with police detectives on March 14, and is said to have detailed the dynamic between her daughter and Sterns.
“(Jennifer Soto) stated while they were together they… (Jennifer, Stephan and Madeline)… would either all sleep in the same bed or (Madeline) would sleep with her when Stephan was not there,” one of the sworn statements repeatedly reads.
The documents reveal that the Florida mom was asked if it was normal for Madeline to sleep with Sterns while she was away.
Jennifer allegedly told police that it was, according to the documents.
“(Jennifer Soto) stated if she needed a good night sleep due to her anxiety, she would ask them (Stephan and Madeline) to sleep in a different bedroom,” one statement read.
Another statement regarding a conversation with Sterns on the same day claimed that he said Madeline “always needed human contact when going to sleep.”
“Stephan referred to it as ‘snuggling,’” the statement reportedly read.
MISSING FROM SCHOOL
On February 26, Madeline was said to have gone missing when she failed to show up to school that morning.
At the time, Sterns told police that he dropped Madeline off down the road from the school.
“She wanted to be dropped off a little down the ways from the school,” Sterns told police on February 27, according to WESH.
He reportedly claimed that Madeline was “very particular about what car she (was seen) getting out of in front of the school.”
Police later revealed that they found video evidence of Sterns discarding items in a dumpster at an apartment complex around the time he was supposed to be taking Madeline to school.
Detectives later found Madeline’s backpack and school-issued laptop in the dumpster.
Her body was discovered in a wooded area off Hickory Tree Road.
Sterns was known to have been driving along that street between 1 and 2:30 p.m. on the day Madeleine went missing.
Timeline of Madeline Soto's disappearance
On February 26, Madeline Soto, a 13-year-old from St. Cloud, Florida, disappeared.
Stephan Sterns, Madeline’s mom’s boyfriend, told police he had dropped the girl off down the road from her school that morning.
However, police allege they uncovered surveillance footage that showed him throwing bags in a dumpster around the time he was supposed to have been with Madeline.
On February 28, Sterns was arrested.
Police said they had found unrelated illicit sexual materials of children on his phone.
On March 1, Madeline’s lifeless body was found in a wooded area
On March 15, Sterns was hit with 60 additional charges, and was accused of sexually abusing Madeline for years, according to an affidavit.
On April 24, officials announced Sterns had been charged with her murder.
CHARGED
Two days after Madeleine disappeared, Sterns was arrested and charged with sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material.
He had agreed to give his phone to detectives for the investigation into her disappearance and an arrest affidavit previously obtained by The U.S. Sun claimed that materials found on the device showed Sterns sexually abused the teen for years.
Sterns, who remains in custody, has also been accused of trying to delete explicit videos and photos of Madeline that were taken when she was 11 years old.
On April 24, Sterns was officially charged with murdering the 13-year-old.
He faces a first-degree murder charge and unrelated charges including sexual battery and possession of child sex abuse material.
He also faces approximately 60 additional charges including sexual battery of a child under 12, lewd and lascivious molestation, and unlawful possession of materials depicting sexual performance by a child.
A jury trial for the case has been set for August 19, according to NBC affiliate WFLA.
Family HandoutMadeline’s mother said the teen slept in the same bed as her and Sterns often[/caption]
Orange County Sheriff's OfficeHer body was found in a wooded area in St. Cloud, Florida on March 1[/caption]
Orange County Sheriff's OfficeSterns faces a first-degree murder charge and unrelated charges including sexual battery and possession of child sex abuse material[/caption]
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