Gilberto Avila-Jara/Ecuador/Rape of a Child

Officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Boston and agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested Gilberto Avila-Jara, 64, in Lawrence, Mass. on April 1, who has been charged with more than twenty counts of sex crimes against a minor.

The citizen of Ecuador is illegally in the U.S.

“There are no appropriate words to describe the amount of damage Gilberto Avila-Jara has allegedly done to our Massachusetts community,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “Children are the most precious and most vulnerable members of our communities, and we will do everything in our power to protect them from illegal sex offenders. ICE Boston remains committed to prioritizing public safety by arresting and removing alien sexual predators from New England.”

A longtime illegal alien, Avila illegally entered the United States near San Ysidro, California Feb. 10, 1996.

The Immigration and Naturalization Service removed Avila from the United States to Ecuador July 2, 1996. Avila illegally reentered the United States again and disappeared for over 20 years.

The Lawrence District Court arraigned Avila on Dec. 18, 2020, for more than 20 offenses including indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, rape of a child with force and aggravated statutory rape of a Child. Later that day, ICE Boston lodged an immigration detainer against Avila with the Lawrence Police Department.

The Lawrence District Court refused to honor the ICE detainer and released Avila from custody on bail March 17, 2021.

On April 22, 2021, the Essex County Superior Court arraigned Avila for six counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, eight counts of rape of a child with force and eight counts of aggravated statutory rape of a child.