Latest news with #BrettBonini
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Yahoo
Teacher accused of enticing minors for sex allegedly taught Madeline Soto
ORLANDO, Fla. (WFLA) — A middle school teacher at the center of a sex crime investigation reportedly taught Madeline Soto, the 13-year-old girl who was killed after her disappearance last year. According to a federal affidavit, 25-year-old Italo Rafael Brett Bonini, of Orlando, was arrested by the FBI on Feb. 5 for enticing a minor for sex using the platform, Discord. The suspect targeted an 8-year-old boy and a 6-year-old from Maryland in January. Brett Bonini lured the 8-year-old to reveal his private area, while he enticed both children to engage in sexual acts with him over video chat and sometimes with each other. Woman left bloodied on I-275 after medical emergency leads to shooting: FHP He also messaged the kids to move their computers to 'a more private spot away from the adults.' When officials questioned Brett Bonini he claimed he was 'not even gay,' and that he 'fell into temptation,' claiming he is 'not a sick individual' and that he had made a mistake, the affidavit said. He admitted to targeting children because 'he could control them.' Brett Bonini, who was a chorus teacher at Hunter's Creek Middle School, according to NBC affiliate WESH, also taught Soto, who was a seventh-grade student at the school when she disappeared in February 2024. According to court documents obtained by Click Orlando, Brett Bonini was interviewed by investigators three days after her disappearance. The teen was reportedly enrolled in his sixth-period class. 70-year-old man angry with housemate fatally shoots him: deputies 'She usually is very participatory. She's usually up performing with us. She doesn't miss a concert,' Brett Bonini reportedly told a detective. 'She just seemed pretty normal. Very happy. Easy making of friends.' Click Orlando said when Soto disappeared, Brett Bonini received a message from the teen's mother through the school district's communication system, saying that her daughter never came home. He reportedly sent a reply, informing Soto's mother that she was marked absent that day. Court records show detectives were never concerned over Brett Bonini during Soto's case. Soto's stepfather, Stephan Sterns, is the 'prime suspect' in her case, accused of sexually abusing and killing the young girl. Soto was last seen alive on the morning of Feb. 26. Authorities believe Sterns killed her when he was supposed to drop her off at school that day. After dumping her school items in a dumpster, he returned to their Orlando apartment complex with her, presumably dead at that point, in the car. Soto's body was later found near the woodline of Old Hickory Tree Road in Osceola County. Sterns, however, has yet to be convicted for the crime. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Yahoo
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.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Yahoo
Hunter's Creek teacher promised kids virtual game money to expose themselves to him in video chat, FBI says
A teacher at Hunter's Creek Middle School was arrested Wednesday for asking children to show their genitals to him during video chat in exchange for virtual game money, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Music instructor Italo Rafael Brett Bonini used the Discord messaging app to contact two brothers from Maryland online and promised them in-game currency for the popular video game Roblox in exchange for exposing themselves to him over the app's video chat feature, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court by the FBI. The complaint said one was 8 years old and the other was around 5. Law enforcement was first contacted in January after the boys' father discovered sexual messages in the elder son's newly created Discord account, federal court records show. Only messages in the regular chat could be examined by law enforcement since video chat is not recorded, but no photos or videos were shared over regular chat. One of the messages from an individual later identified by authorities as Brett Bonini asked the boys to pull down their pants and rub each others' genitals over video chat in exchange for 25,000 in Roblox's in-game currency, according to the complaint. The boys' mother told law enforcement only the older boy exposed himself. Check your county's average home insurance cost, increases since 2022 Records show there were messages from Brett Bonini indicating he had shown his genitals to the elder son. 'I just wish you would show yours with me, I showed mine really easily,' one message said. The FBI conducted a search of Brett Bonini's home after reviewing information from Discord and tracking his IP address, according to the complaint. He admitted to FBI agents that he'd asked the older boy to show him his genitals. He said he'd recently deleted his Discord account because he was disgusted with himself. He said he 'fell into temptation that I should not have,' the complaint said. He told agents he chose to talk to children because they are 'easier to talk to' and he liked the aspect of control he felt he had talking with the elder son. A spokesperson for Orange County Public Schools told the Orlando Sentinel on Thursday that Hunters Creek families were informed Wednesday that Brett Bonini was placed on administrative leave and would not return to campus during the investigation.
