Online Leak of Madeline Soto’s Death Photo Sparks Legal Concerns, Sheriff Warned

Madeline Soto was a teenage girl from Florida who was found dead on March 1, 2024, Friday. The Police announced that Madeline Soto’s body was found in the Hickory Tree Road in the wooded area by Osceola County deputies.

On February 26, 2024, 13-year-old Madeline Soto vanished after her mother’s boyfriend left her at Peace United Methodist Church on Town Loop Boulevard. She attended Hunter’s Creek Middle School, located nearby.

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MAJOR DEVELOPMENT in the case of missing 13-year-old Madeline Soto:
 
This evening, the Kissimmee Police Department, working in conjunction with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, arrested Stephan Sterns, 37, for sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material.… pic.twitter.com/yZn8O8JpYM

— Orange County Sheriff's Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) February 29, 2024

The sheriff’s office stated,

“At about 4:30 p.m. today, off Hickory Tree Road, Osceola County Sheriff’s Office search teams located the body of Madeline Soto in a wooded area. Madeline’s family has been notified.”

The office added,

“We have no additional information to release at this time. Kissimmee PD is the lead agency in this homicide investigation. That work continues.”

When the body of the deceased was discovered, Stephan Sterns, the 37-year-old boyfriend of her mother, Jenn, was taken into police custody. He faced charges for possessing child abuse and assault content on his phone and is considered the ‘prime suspect’ in Soto’s death case.

Madeline Soto’s Photo Goes Viral on Twitter, Reddit

As news of the death of the 13-year-old teen spread online, a Florida sheriff allegedly shared a photo of Soto’s body online, which went viral on social media platforms like Twitter, Reddit, for which he later issued sincere apologies.

According to reports by WFLA, Florida state law states that the picture of a deceased minor cannot be made public without the consent of the minor’s surviving family or parents.

Fox News reported that within a day of the discovery of Soto’s body, the photo of the deceased was posted on the personal Instagram page of Marcos Lopez, an Osceola County Sheriff. He mentioned that he accidentally posted the picture but intended to post about a visit with senior citizens.

The clothing that appeared in the image matched the one last worn by Madeline when she vanished in Kissimmee. According to The Independent, the photo was immediately removed from the internet when the issue was spotted.

Russ Gibson, who will be running to replace Marcos Lopez in the upcoming 2024 election, stated he was ‘shocked and appalled’ over the posts.

In a Facebook post, he added,

‘This is 100% unacceptable and 100% shameful and disrespectful to Madeline, her family, and friends!!’

Moreover, Russ Gibson’s supporters have also demanded a thorough investigation.

Currently, Mr. Sterns is in police custody without bond, and no further information on the case has been found as of Tuesday morning, as reported by WESH.

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