Authorities allege the mother of 13-year-old Madeline Soto told police she was aware her boyfriend was sexually abusing the teenager before, police claim, he killed her.
Jennifer Soto allegedly told police during an interview that she was aware her boyfriend, 37-year-old Stephan Sterns, was “grooming and abusing” Madeline, FOX 35, WFTV and Click Orlando report, citing a newly released case supplemental report from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Madeline was reported missing from her Kissimmee, Fla., home on Feb. 26, prompting the arrest of Sterns on unrelated charges of possessing child sexual abuse material, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said at the time. Her body was found in a wooded area on March 1.
During their investigation, authorities spoke with Jennifer, who allegedly said she believed Sterns was “guilty” because he had “been grooming and abusing my child,” authorities have claimed in the supplemental report, per FOX 35, WFTV and Click Orlando.
At the same time, authorities allege in the supplemental report that Jennifer protected Sterns and prioritized him over her daughter, according to the Orlando Sentinel, WESH and Click Orlando.
Stephan Sterns.
Orange County jail
In the supplemental report, authorities claim Jennifer said that Sterns’ alleged sexual abuse was not “evil,” though she acknowledged her daughter’s killing was “evil,” per the outlets.
Authorities allege that despite knowing about his abuse, Jennifer sent Madeline to sleep in the same room as Sterns the night before the child disappeared, per the supplemental case report, WESH reports. She allegedly told police that she did so because she’d had a long day at work and needed to rest.
The next morning, Sterns was captured on an unspecified video discarding items into a trashcan on the property where he lived with Jennifer and Madeline, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said, Click Orlando reports. Police later recovered Madeline’s backpack and laptop from the trashcan.
Madeline died from strangulation, a medical examiner later ruled, per FOX 35 Orlando, WESH and Click Orlando.
Sterns was charged with first-degree murder in April in connection with Madeline’s death, according to Osceola County, Florida court records reviewed by PEOPLE.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Sterns has entered a plea to the murder charge. He has pleaded not guilty to 60 counts of sexual abuse charges, per the Osceola News-Gazette.
