A 16-year-old boy charged with sexually assaulting and murdering his stepsister on a Carnival Cruise ship has been taken into federal custody after a judge revoked his pre-trial release. Timothy Hudson surrendered to US marshals in Tampa on Monday, following an order by US Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres that the case be treated as an adult matter.
Judge Torres had initially allowed Hudson to live with an uncle under electronic monitoring in February. However, after the case was transferred to adult court in April, prosecutors argued for detention. The judge agreed, stating that “no condition or combination of conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety of the community.” Hudson will be held in an approved juvenile facility.
Hudson has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner. Her body was found concealed under a bed on the Carnival Horizon in November, and the cause of death was mechanical asphyxia. Prosecutors allege Kepner was pinned down and forcibly raped before being strangled, a process they say took three to five minutes.
The case landed in federal court because the death occurred in international waters. Minors are rarely prosecuted in federal court, but Hudson’s name was released due to the adult charges. If convicted, he faces a possible life sentence, whereas as a juvenile he would have been released at 21.
Hudson’s defence attorney argued that he had complied with release conditions for months, but the prosecution cited the severity of the crimes and flight risk. Kepner’s father, Christopher Kepner, expressed trust in the justice system, describing the situation as “deeply painful and complex for the entire family.”
