KISSIMMEE, FL — A Florida sheriff has been fined $500 for a public records violation after he inadvertently posted a photo of a deceased 13-year-old girl on his Instagram account. Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez expressed regret following the incident involving the photograph of Madeline “Maddie” Soto, discovered deceased in a rural area in March.
The photo’s release triggered a legal response as it breached Florida’s strict public records laws, which safeguard the confidentiality of minors involved in violent crimes. The Ninth Circuit State Attorney’s Office issued a noncriminal citation to Sheriff Lopez last week.
The citation stated that Lopez failed to keep the photograph, which depicted the violent death of a minor, confidential and exempt from public disclosure.
Under Florida law, it is a third-degree felony to willfully and knowingly distribute an image of a deceased minor who was a victim of domestic violence without family consent. Although the sheriff’s post appears to have been unintentional, it led to accusations of violating public records laws.
Maddie Soto’s stepfather, 37-year-old Stephan Sterns, has been charged with first-degree murder and other severe offenses in relation to her death, intensifying the scrutiny of the sheriff’s actions. The citation specifically notes that Lopez published a photograph “depicting the killing of a minor, to wit: Madeline Soto.”
