The Orange County Sheriff’s office announced on Friday that the body of missing Florida teen Madeline Soto has been found.said
Search teams from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office discovered the 13-year-old’s body at 4:30 p.m. local time off Hickory Tree Road in a wooded area. The teen’s family has been informed, according to the statement. Earlier that day, Sheriff John Mina confirmed that investigators believe Soto was deceased.
Soto was last seen wearing a green sweatshirt, black shorts, and white Crocs shoes at around 8:30 a.m. local time on Feb. 26, authorities stated.
On Wednesday, authorities arrested her mother’s boyfriend, Stephan Sterns, for sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material. Sterns, 37, was the last person to see her. Disturbing images of a criminal and sexual nature were found on his phone, along with attempts to delete evidence from the phone’s data.
Jail records indicate that Sterns is in custody in Osceola County Corrections facing charges of sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material.
Caitlin O’Kane contributed to this report.
Thanks for reading CBS NEWS.
Create your free account or log in for more features.