A former Florida nurse has been sentenced to two years in prison after admitting to an unlawful sexual relationship with her 15-year-old stepson.
Alexis Von Yates, 35, appeared before Marion County Judge Timothy McCourt on Tuesday, where she was ordered to serve 24 months behind bars, followed by two years of community control and a decade of probation as a registered sex offender. She will also be required to complete 200 hours of community service and pay fines.
The sentencing followed a plea deal reached with prosecutors that reduced her charges. Initially arrested in November 2024 on a first-degree felony count of sexual battery by a person in familial authority, which carries a potential life sentence, Von Yates instead pleaded no contest to a lesser charge of lewd and lascivious battery involving a minor between the ages of 12 and 16.
Judge McCourt said he consulted with the teenage victim and his mother before finalizing the deal. Both expressed support for the outcome, according to court records.
The boy’s mother addressed the court, condemning Von Yates as a “coward” who had shown no remorse and emphasizing that her son had been betrayed by someone who should have protected him.
The case began in July 2024, when Von Yates’s husband returned home from work unexpectedly and found her with his teenage son. Police were called, and Von Yates was taken into custody months later. She lost her nursing license shortly afterward.
The victim’s mother revealed that the incident has caused lasting damage to family relationships, saying her son has not spoken to his father since.
Von Yates remained quiet during the sentencing hearing and showed little visible emotion as the judge imposed the sentence. She was immediately taken into custody and ordered to have no contact with the victim.
The case has drawn attention across Florida, not only for its disturbing details but for the wider issue of trust and abuse within families. Judge McCourt called the crime “a despicable violation” of the responsibilities owed to children.
