Stephan Sterns absent from court appearance; trial date pushed back

Stephan Sterns, the man charged with 60 felony counts that include sexual battery on a child and possession of materials depicting the sexual performance of a child, and the main person of interest in the disappearance and death of 13-year-old Kissimmee girl Madeline Soto, did not appear in court Wednesday at a pre-trial hearing for his case.

During the hearing, his defense entered a plea of not guilty on the 60 charges, and asked for the trial on those charges to be continued. Circuit Court Judge Keith Carstens placed the trial on the Aug. 9 docket. A pre-trial hearing was set for July 10. His legal team left the courtroom without answering questions about the plea, what Sterns has shared with them or anything else; they spoke of heading to another courtroom for another case.

Murder charges in Soto's death have yet to be filed; the Kissimmee Police Department, which took over the investigation during the week of her Feb. 26 disappearance and the March 1 discovery of her body along Hickory Tree road south of St. Cloud, is not releasing details of its investigation. The 9th Circuit State Attorney's Office, which levied the 60 counts, is also staying mum.

Sterns has yet to make an appearance in court or in front of any judge. It did not appear that any members of Soto's mother's side of the family were in the courtroom Wednesday. Jenny Esquivel, an advocate for Tyler and Tatianna Wallace, Madeline's biological father and stepmother, was there, and provided a statement from the family. 

"Maddie's passing has left us shattered. Our search for justice remains unwavering, we will do everything in our power to seek justice for her and ensure that those who are to be held accountable will. We appreciate the outpouring of support and kindness during this incredibly difficult time. Madeline was deeply loved by the Wallaces and Tatianna's family. This is when reality, the cruel portion of this, starts sinking in."