Madeline Soto case update: Stephan Sterns' cell phone, Google Drive allowed as evidence at trial
Judge allows phone evidence in Maddie Soto case
A judge on Wednesday ruled that key phone evidence can be used in the sexual abuse trial of Stephan Sterns, the man also accused of killing 13-year-old Maddie Soto. The trial has been pushed back one week, with jury selection now set to begin July 22.
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. - Florida prosecutors will be allowed to use Stephan Sterns' cell phone and Google Drive – and the alleged photos and videos found on each – as evidence at his upcoming trial, an Osceola County Judge has ruled.
Both the state and defense attended a status hearing on Wednesday – and both seemed unaware that the judge had previously ruled on the defense's motion to try and suppress that evidence from trial.
Sterns is charged with first-degree murder in the disappearance and death of 13-year-old Madeline Soto. He is also charged with more than 60 counts of sex abuse charges after explicit photos were allegedly found on his cell phone and Google Drive amid the search for the teen.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX LOCAL APP
Sterns is the ex-boyfriend of Soto's mom, Jenn Soto. The teen's mom has never been considered a suspect nor charged in the girl's disappearance or death.
Did Stephan Sterns attend the hearing?
Stephan Sterns was not in court for the pre-trial hearing. However, his attorneys and state prosecutors were at the hearing.
Judge denies defense's request to suppress evidence
In April, the defense asked for phone and video evidence to be dismissed from Sterns' upcoming trial, arguing that it was obtained without a warrant. Sterns also testified that he was coerced into handing over his phone.
Police said Sterns' phone was initially collected as part of the search for the missing teen. Sterns provided his password and once unlocked, detectives found explicit pictures and videos of Sterns allegedly abusing the teen.
A surprise ruling?
Both the prosecution and defense filed a joint motion asking the judge to delay the start of the trial, which was set to start on July 15, 2025, citing the need to know the judge's ruling on the motion to suppress evidence.
Judge Keith Carsten told the prosecution and defense that he denied the defense's motion the day before – a ruling that both sides were apparently unaware of. The ruling itself was not immediately posted to the Osceoal County Clerk of Court's website, which isn't entirely uncommon.
Carsten also denied the motion to delay the trial, noting that the trial had been pending for 485 days, enough time for both sides to prepare; and that both sides have had the same representation since the beginning of the case.
The prosecution listed a number of concerns during the pre-trial hearing:
- The prosecutor is tied up with an insanity defense trial in Orlando.
- Resource prioritization meant little time was spent preparing for Sterns' trial until court rulings arrived.
- The former prosecutor resigned but remains involved; however, she's currently unavailable (vacation).
The defense also expressed their concerns during Wednesday's hearing:
- Awaited rulings before advising the defendant on strategy or considering plea/resolution.
- Anticipates possible new evidence or witness testimony (uncharged images or metadata).
- Still needs to depose (interview) a new Texas-based witness added to the state's list in mid-June.
- One key defense attorney is attending out-of-state training during part of the original trial window.
Pre-trial hearing in Stephan Sterns case
Today, there will be a pre-trial hearing in the Stephan Sterns case. Sterns is accused of killing and sexually abusing 13-year-old Maddie Soto. FOX 35's Amanda McKenzie shares updates on the case.
Jury selection to begin in 20 days
The trial, which was set to start on July 15, has been pushed back a few days, but remains in the trial period. Judge Carsten ordered the trial to begin on July 22. He wants opening statements to begin on July 25.
Sterns' second trial: First-degree murder charge
Sterns is also charged with first-degree murder in Maddie Soto's death. Soto's body was found in a field in St. Cloud, a week after she was initially reported missing.
The murder case is currently being tried separately. That case is currently scheduled for trial in September, according to online court records.
More stories:
- Watch: Stephan Sterns 2-hour interrogation amid Madeline Soto disappearance
- Madeline Soto update: Will the media, public be banned from Stephan Sterns' pretrial court hearings?
- Maddie Soto update: Stephen Sterns jailhouse calls released
- Judge denies Stephan Sterns' motion to ban the press, public from his pre-trial hearings
Who is Stephan Sterns?
Stephan Sterns
Stephan Sterns was the boyfriend of Jennifer Soto, Maddie's mom. He was living in the same apartment with Maddie, Jennifer, and a third roommate when the teen went missing.
SIGN-UP FOR FOX 35'S BREAKING NEWS, DAILY NEWS NEWSLETTERS
Through police interviews and evidence, it was learned that Sterns would sometimes sleep in the same bed as Jenn and Maddie. Before the teen's disappearance, Sterns allegedly slept in the same room as Maddie because her mom, Jenn, had a headache and wanted to be alone. That's according to released evidence and law enforcement interviewed both Stephan, Jenn, and the other roommate.
He has pleaded not guilty to those charges.
Who was Maddie Soto?
Maddie Soto
Madeline "Maddie" Soto was a 13-year-old girl who was reported missing on Feb. 26, 2024. Maddie had just celebrated her 13th birthday on February 22, days before she was reported missing.
Madeline was a student at Hunter's Creek Middle School in Orlando. She lived with her mom, Sterns and an adult roommate in Kissimmee.
After a five-day frantic search, Soto's body was found on March 1 in a grassy field in a remote part of Osceola County. A medical examiner would determine that Soto died by strangulation.
Time: Madeline Soto case
2024:
- Sunday, Feb. 25: Madeline Soto's 13th birthday celebration
- Monday, Feb. 26: Madeline Soto was last seen at 8:30 a.m., didn't make it to school
- Tuesday, Feb. 27: Madeline Soto's missing poster was released, officials begin search
- Tuesday night, Feb. 27: Madeline Soto's mom, Jenn Soto, speaks with FOX 35; would-be suspect appears in background
- Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 28: Orange County Sheriff John Mina hosts press conference about ongoing search
- Wednesday night, Feb. 28: Mom's boyfriend Stephan Sterns arrested on unrelated charges, named ‘prime suspect’ in Madeline Soto case
- Thursday, Feb. 29: Kissimmee Police Department releases Stephan Sterns' arrest affidavit
- Thursday, Feb. 29: Body language expert assesses Stephan Sterns' body language in Zoom interview with Jenn Soto
- Friday morning, March 1: Stephan Sterns dodges questions from FOX 35 while being transferred from Orange County to Osceola County
- Friday afternoon, March 1: Officials say they're ‘confident’ that Madeline Soto is dead
- Friday afternoon, March 1: Multi-agency search for Madeline Soto near area where Stephen Sterns was last seen
- Friday afternoon, March 1: Body found amid search for Madeline Soto
After Maddie's body was found:
- Saturday morning, March 2: Stephan Sterns waives first appearance in court
- Wednesday, March 6: New court documents allege Stephan Sterns may have abused Madeline Soto years before her disappearance, death
- Tuesday, March 12: State Attorney's Office files 60 additional charges against Stephan Sterns
- Thursday, March 21: Kissimmee Police Chief holds press conference with updates about investigation
- Wednesday, April 4: State Attorney Andrew Bain explains why more information has not been released into the Madeline Soto death investigation
- Wednesday, April 4: FOX 35 obtained the 911 calls from the morning 13-year-old Madeline Soto went missing from Orange County
- Saturday, April 15: Maddie Soto’s family and community members gathered at a vigil Saturday to remember the 13-year-old who was found dead days after she was reported missing in February.
- Wednesday, April 24: An Osceola County judge granted a motion to continue the pretrial for Stephan Sterns.
- Wednesday, April 24: A new trial date has been set for Stephan Sterns after an Osceola County judge granted the defense's motion for more time during a pretrial hearing.
- Thursday, April 25: Stephan Sterns has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of 13-year-old Florida girl Madeline Soto.
After Stephan Sterns was charged:
- Monday, June 10: The State Attorney's Office intends to seek the death penalty against Stephan Sterns, the man accused of killing his girlfriend's daughter, 13-year-old Madeline "Maddie" Soto, according to court records – should he be convicted.
- Wednesday, July 10: Attorneys for Stephan Sterns, who was charged for the murder of 13-year-old Madeline Soto, have filed motions to continue both trials.
- Thursday, August 22: New police interviews with Stephan Sterns, Jennifer Soto from hours after teen went 'missing'
- Friday, August 23: New documents obtained by FOX 35 this week show that the teen's mother may have known about that alleged abuse.
- Monday, August 26: Madeline Soto's mom admits to knowing Stephan Sterns was 'grooming and abusing' her daughter, documents show.
- Monday, August 26: New documents shed light on how Madeline Soto's body got to the rural location it was eventually found at, and, ultimately, how she died.
- Monday, October 14: Trial date set for Stephan Sterns
- Wednesday, October 23: Kissimmee police revealed new information in the ongoing investigation. Alleged killer Stephan Sterns secretly filmed naked roommate, officials say.
- Friday, October 25: "I didn't start it" Those are the words Stephen Sterns told his parents in a recorded call from jail, audio which was released to FOX 35 Orlando.
2025:
- Thursday, February 6: Stephan Sterns and his attorney file dozens of motions ahead of his murder trial set to begin in September. Asking to strike the death penalty and to have all physical restraint devices removed from Sterns during trial proceedings.
- Wednesday, February 12: Stephan Sterns wants phone evidence tossed ahead of child sex crimes trial.
- Wednesday, February 19: Stephan Sterns asks judge to ban public, press from court hearing.
- Wednesday, February 26: Remembering the 13-year-old one year later; accused killer preps for trial.
- Tuesday, March 4: New details released in the death of Madeline Soto, one year since the initial report
- Wednesday, March 5: Watch: Stephan Sterns 2-hour interrogation amid Madeline Soto disappearance
- Thursday, March 20: Madeline Soto update: Will the media, public be banned from Stephan Sterns' pretrial court hearings?
- Friday, March 21: Maddie Soto update: Stephen Sterns jailhouse calls released
- Thursday, March 27: Judge denies Stephan Sterns' motion to ban the press, public from his pre-trial hearings
- July 2: Judge denies motion to suppress evidence.
One year since Maddie Soto's disappearance
Today marks one year since Maddie Soto first went missing. The 13-year-old's body was found days later in St. Cloud on March 1. Tributes continue to pour in for the young girl, including a special honor from the City of St. Cloud, who plans to gift a bench in her memory at Lakefront Park.
The Source: This story was written based on information gathered from Stephan Sterns' suppression court hearing on April 23, 2025, in Osceola County. Information from previous reporting was also included, which came from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the North Port Police Department, and documents from the Orange County Clerk of Courts and Osceola County Clerk of Courts.