Ex-Florida nurse sentenced to 2 years in prison after sex with 15-year-old stepson

A former Florida nurse was sentenced Tuesday to 24 months in state prison after pleading no contest to a reduced charge in a case involving sexual contact with her 15-year-old stepson, court records show.

Alexis Von Yates, 35, was ordered to serve two years in prison followed by two years of community control and 10 years of probation during which she must register as a sex offender, according to Marion County court records and video of the hearing. The sentence also includes 200 hours of community service and fines and court costs.

The judge accepted a plea agreement that reduced the original charge of sexual battery by a person in familial authority to lewd and lascivious battery on a child between the ages of 12 and 16, a lesser offense, court records show. Von Yates pleaded no contest to the reduced charge on Aug. 21, according to the records. The original first-degree felony charge carried a potential sentence of up to life in prison and a $10,000 fine.

The conduct was first reported after the teenage victim’s father returned to the family home in Ocala, Florida, on July 26, 2024, and discovered Von Yates and his son engaged in sexual activity while they were watching a movie, court filings say. The father, identified in court records as Frank, told authorities he had been working the night shift and surprised the pair; the boy ran into a bathroom as Von Yates allegedly hid under a blanket, the affidavit said.

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by Law & Crime and referenced in court documents, Von Yates told the boy she was "horny" and had not had sex in two weeks, and that she was on her period. The affidavit said Von Yates told investigators the boy reminded her of her husband when he was younger and that she had instructed the boy to stop after they began kissing and engaging in oral sex. The victim told his father the account in the affidavit was false, telling investigators that Von Yates had been "moaning" and had told him to keep going, the affidavit reported.

Von Yates was arrested in November 2024; she later lost her single-state nursing license, records show. During Tuesday’s hearing, the judge conferred with the now-16-year-old victim and his mother, and the court order stated both were "one-hundred percent in agreement with the sentencing."

The victim’s mother addressed the court during the hearing, saying Von Yates had groomed and violated her son and calling the former nurse an "incestuous pedophile," according to court video. She described Von Yates as a "coward" who displayed no remorse for her actions, court records show. Court video captured the moment Von Yates was handcuffed and escorted from the courtroom after the judge imposed the sentence. She had been ordered not to have contact with the boy.

The plea deal was described in court records as significantly reducing the potential prison exposure faced by Von Yates. Defense and prosecution presented the agreement to Fifth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Timothy McCourt, who accepted it and imposed the sentence on Tuesday.

The case prompted administrative action by state nursing authorities, which revoked Von Yates’ license after her arrest, according to public licensing records. The court-imposed registration as a sex offender will require compliance with state reporting rules following release from custody.

The sentence is part of a broader trend of criminal and professional consequences in cases involving sexual abuse by caregivers and family members, where criminal charges, administrative discipline and public registration often follow convictions or guilty pleas. Investigators, prosecutors and the court system cited the age of the victim and the familial relationship in handling the matter and in reaching the plea agreement.

Von Yates’ attorney and representatives for the prosecution did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The victim’s family has sought privacy while cooperating with prosecutors and the court, and the case record shows authorities pursued both criminal charges and administrative disciplinary action after the initial report to law enforcement.