New detail revealed in case of Charlise Mutten’s death as next steps outlined

Lawyers for Charlise Mutten’s stepfather, who is accused of murdering her and dumping her body in a barrel, have revealed their next move as he faces a raft of charges including possession of child abuse material.

The stepfather of schoolgirl Charlise Mutten, accused of murdering her and dumping her body in a barrel, was allegedly in possession of 21 child abuse videos, court documents have revealed.

Lawyers for Justin Stein, 31, appeared in Penrith Local Court on Friday. He faces a raft of charges including murder and possession of child abuse material.

Mr Stein’s lawyer Peter Katsoolis told the court he is due to meet with a representative of the Director of Public Prosecutions on February 16 for a case conference.

Court documents have revealed Mr Stein is accused of possessing “16 category one, and five category two” videos which portrayed child sexual abuse.

“Videos depicted material, in a manner that would in all circumstances cause offence to reasonable persons, and is a person who is a child in a sexual context,” the documents stated.

The matter will return to court in March, where it is expected pleas may be entered.

Justin Stein is charged with murdering his stepdaughter and dumping her body in a barrel.

The nine-year-old’s body was found with gunshot wounds in bushland near the Colo River in NSW’s Central Tablelands in January last year.

Charlise had been visiting her mother and Mr Stein at a Blue Mountains property, where police allege she was killed. There is no suggestion that Charlise’s mother was involved in her death, and she has never been accused of any wrongdoing in this respect.

Police mapped Mr Stein’s movements in the hours following her disappearance, from the property to the northwest and inner west suburbs of Sydney, where they allege he tried multiple times to launch a boat alleged to have contained her body.

After being unable to start the boat, it is alleged Mr Stein travelled back to the Colo River, near where Charlise’s body was eventually found.

The disappearance of the Tweed Heads schoolgirl on January 14, 2022, sparked a lengthy multi-agency search of the surrounding bushlands, involving hundreds of volunteers.

Charlise Mutten was reported missing from a Blue Mountains property in January 2022, sparking a major search effort.

Police allege Mr Stein murdered Charlise either on the evening of January 11 or in the early hours of January 12 when they were alone together at the property.

Charlise was living with her grandparents in Coolangatta and was visiting her mother over the Christmas school holidays when she disappeared.

Stein was arrested in January 2022 and has remained behind bars on remand ever since.

As a result of investigations into Charlise’s death, police uncovered an alleged break in a Mount Wilson property in August 2021, during which they say Mr Stein stole two firearms.

Charlise’s mother, Kallista Mutten pleaded guilty to her involvement in the break in after she was charged in July with aggravated break and enter in company.

As a result of investigations into Charlise’s death, police uncovered a break in at a neighbouring property in 2021, during which two firearms were allegedly stolen.

It is not believed either of the stolen firearms were used in Charlise’s murder and there is no suggestion Kallista Mutten was involved in her daughter’s death.

The 39-year-old was sentenced to a year-long intensive correction order as an alternative to jail, on the condition she undergo drug and alcohol treatment at a rehabilitation centre in Western Sydney.

While in custody at Silverwater Jail, Stein was charged in May with two counts of possessing an unauthorised firearm, two counts of possessing an unregistered firearm, and one count of possessing ammunition without authority.

He was also charged with two counts of possessing child abuse material, which police assert is not related to his stepdaughter.

Mr Stein’s case will be back before the court on March 10.

Originally published as New detail revealed in case of Charlise Mutten’s death as next steps outlined