Sterns sentenced to life in plea deal over Maddie Soto’s abuse, murder

The man accused of sexually abusing and murdering 13-year-old Maddie Soto avoided trial Monday by changing his plea at the last moment, prompting emotional scenes inside an Osceola County courtroom. Stephan Sterns, who was set to face a jury Tuesday on dozens of charges, instead pleaded guilty to sexually abusing the teen over a period of years and entered a no-contest plea to her killing—moves that eliminate the need for both a sex crimes trial and a separate murder trial scheduled for September.