Jose Pila Cevallos/Ecuador/Sexual Assault

Federal immigration agents arrested Jose Pila Cevallos, a Ecuador national here illegally, in Omaha, Nebraska, on charges of sexual assault.

Sexual assault charges are among the most serious in the criminal justice system, carrying the potential for lengthy prison sentences and lifetime sex offender registration requirements. For illegal aliens arrested on such charges, the case triggers two simultaneous legal proceedings — the criminal prosecution and a federal immigration removal case moving on a separate, independent timeline. Cevallos now faces both.

Cevallos remains in ICE custody pending a hearing before a federal immigration judge. If the court orders removal, Cevallos would be returned to Ecuador.