Former Florida Nurse Accepts Plea Deal in Stepson Sexual Abuse Case

Von Yates was initially charged with engaging in “unlawful sexual activity” with a minor after her husband claimed he caught his wife “red-handed” last year.

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Alexis Von Yates, a 35-year-old former Florida nurse, has pleaded no contest to a charge of lewd and lascivious battery in a case involving her 15-year-old stepson. The plea agreement, supported by the victim’s family, will significantly reduce her potential prison sentence, sparing the teenager from testifying at trial.

The case began last year when the victim’s father, Frank Yates, allegedly returned home from work and discovered his wife and son naked on the living room couch. According to the investigative affidavit, the incident occurred after Von Yates and the teen smoked a THC vape, played video games, and watched movies. The former nurse is alleged to have initiated sexual contact, first commenting that the movie was boring and stating she was "horny" and sexually frustrated.

Von Yates will serve two years in the Department of Corrections, followed by two years of community control and 10 years of sex offender probation

The victim told police that Von Yates expressed a wish that he was 18 before sexual activity occurred. The encounter was reportedly interrupted when the garage door opened as the father arrived home. Frank Yates allegedly shouted in shock and began throwing objects, calling his wife a "child predator." The 15-year-old fled the home.

An investigation was launched following an anonymous tip in July 2024, just days after the alleged abuse. Von Yates was arrested on November 6, 2024, and her nursing license was subsequently suspended.

Von Yates lost her nursing license after the sexual abuse allegations emerged.

Prosecutors stated the victim’s family supported the negotiated plea to avoid forcing the teenager to relive the ordeal during a trial, which they feared would disrupt his ongoing mental health treatment. Under the terms of the plea deal, Von Yates is expected to be sentenced to two years in the Department of Corrections, followed by two years of community control and 10 years of sex offender probation. She must also complete 200 hours of community service and pay fines.

The exact details of her sentence will be formally handed down at a hearing in September, where the victim and his biological mother are expected to make statements to the court. The plea closes a case that involved a severe breach of trust and the sexual abuse of a minor who was three years under Florida's legal age of consent.

Von Yates and her husband before her arrest in 2024