Did Madeline Soto's Mom Tell Police in Interview that Boyfriend's Alleged Sex Abuse of Teen Was 'Fine?'

In a recorded police interview, Jennifer Soto then says "it's not fine" when an officer confronts her about her earlier assertion

The mother of 13-year-old Madeline Soto, the teen who was found raped and killed in March, appears to have briefly told Florida authorities that it was “fine” that her 37-year-old boyfriend was allegedly sexually abusing her teenage daughter, according to a police interview clip reviewed by PEOPLE.

Madeline disappeared on Feb. 26, in Kissimmee, Fla., leading to the arrest of her mother’s boyfriend, Stephan Sterns, 37, on unrelated charges of possessing child sex abuse material, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said at the time. Sterns is now charged with murder in connection with the girl's death.

While investigating Madeline's disappearance, police found photos of Sterns allegedly sexually abusing Madeline, according to an arrest affidavit cited by  WESH, WFLA and FOX 35. Madeline's mother Jennifer Soto was shown photos of Sterns' alleged abuse, and her reaction was captured in a clip of the interview released by the OCSO and shared by Click 2 Orlando.

In the video of the interview, which was conducted a few hours before Madeline's body was found, Jennifer says she initially did not think Sterns was responsible for Madeline's being missing.

"When you guys showed me the picture of her, I believed the sexual stuff but I did not want to believe he had done anything evil to her," she says.

Then she adds, "I'm like: no, what if he did this stuff — fine, but what if she’s still out there."

Related: Madeline Soto, 13, Allegedly Shared Bed with Mom's Boyfriend, Who'd 'Snuggle' Her, Mom Told Police in Interview

"What if she got abducted?" she continues, "But that was me assuming that you guys had the wrong guy. I wanted to believe he was the good guy still."

The officer questioning Jennifer then double-checks if Jennifer said the alleged abuse was "fine."

At that point, Jennifer says, "It's not fine," and then the officer continues speaking.

Related: Madeline Soto's Mom Allegedly Told Police Boyfriend Was 'Grooming and Abusing' Teen

Jennifer also says in the same interview that she was "oblivious" to Sterns' alleged abuse against her teen daughter, who was allegedly made to share the bed with the couple in their home. Jennifer says she often woke up to Sterns allegedly "snuggling" the teenager while in his boxers, per the interview.

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According to the medical examiner, Madeline died from strangulation, FOX 35 Orlando, WESH and Click Orlando previously reported. Sterns was charged with murder in connection with Madeline's death in April, per Osceola County court records.

Online court records do not show a plea by Sterns to the murder charge. He has pleaded not guilty to 60 counts of sexual abuse charges, per the Osceola News-Gazette.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

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