Orange teacher accused of enticing minors for sex had taught Madeline Soto
An Orange County teacher arrested Wednesday for asking children to show their genitals knew Madeline Soto, the 13-year-old girl whose killing last year shocked Central Florida.
Italo Rafael Brett Bonini, a music instructor at Hunter's Creek Middle School, used the Discord messaging app to contact two young brothers from Maryland and promised them in-game currency for the popular video game Roblox in exchange for exposing themselves online, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court by the FBI.
Soto, who was a seventh-grader at the school when she was slain, allegedly by her mother's boyfriend, was a student in Brett Bonini's 6th-period class, according to reporting by WKMG News.
The Orlando Sentinel reviewed court documents Monday evening establishing that police interviewed Brett Bonini after her disappearance. He was never a suspect, and there remains no reason to think he harmed her.
The Kissimmee teenager went missing in late February 2024, propelling a massive four-day search by law enforcement that captivated Central Florida until her body was found in a wooded area near St. Cloud.
Brett Bonini was questioned by the Orange County Sheriff's Office on Feb. 29, three days after Soto's mother, Jennifer Soto, reported her missing. He had also responded to a message from the mother on the day Madeline went missing, telling her that Madeline had been marked absent in that day's classes, WKMG said.
The records reviewed by the Sentinel show Brett Bonini told law enforcement that Madeline did not discuss her home or personal lives with him and that she never said anything about abuse or suicidal thoughts or feelings. He also told police that she was a normal and helpful girl who seemed happy and participated in class, and that he hadn't noticed any changes in her behavior during the school year, according to the records.
The prime suspect in Madeline's killing is 38-year-old Stephan Sterns, her mother's boyfriend who lived with the family. He faces dozens of charges of possessing child sexual abuse material as well as sexual battery of a minor. If convicted of the sex crimes he faces life in prison, and a murder conviction could result in the death penalty, which prosecutors are seeking.
A federal judge ordered Monday that Brett Bonini be kept in the custody of law enforcement until his trial for enticing the Maryland boys, according to federal court records. At a court hearing on the same day, the FBI said there could be an additional 20 minor victims, according to reports from WFTV News.
One of the messages sent to the boys from an individual later identified by authorities as Brett Bonini asked the two to pull down their pants and rub each others' genitals over video chat in exchange for 25,000 in Roblox currency, according to the complaint. The boys' mother told law enforcement only the older boy exposed himself.
At the hearing, the FBI said that Brett Bonini may have found additional victims on Discord, where investigators have found a pattern of similar conversations. The FBI also mentioned that Brett Bonini had access to children's homes when he gave them private music lessons, the report from WFTV said.
Additional reports from WKMG said prosecutors mentioned Brett Bonini may face deportation if he is convicted due to his citizenship status.
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