MIAMI — A federal judge in Miami is expected to decide Wednesday whether 16-year-old Timothy Hudson will remain free while awaiting trial on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the death of Anna Kepner aboard the Carnival Horizon in November. Hudson has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Hudson was initially arrested and charged as a juvenile, but the case was later transferred to adult court. In February, U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres ruled that Hudson could live with an uncle under electronic monitoring pending further proceedings. Prosecutors have since requested that he be held in custody until the conclusion of the case.

According to a criminal complaint, Anna Kepner’s body was found concealed under a bed in a room she shared with Hudson and another teenager before the Carnival Horizon was scheduled to return to Florida in November. The cause of her death on November 6 was determined to be mechanical asphyxia, which occurs when an external object or physical force prevents a person from breathing.

Anna Kepner had been traveling on the cruise ship with her family, including Hudson. She was a high school cheerleader at Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida, about 40 miles east of Orlando. Christopher Kepner, Anna’s family member, said, "The situation is deeply painful and complex for the entire family." He previously released a statement saying the family was placing "trust in the justice system to pursue the truth with care and integrity."

Hudson’s federal public defenders have declined to comment on the charges. Minors are rarely prosecuted in federal court.