A Brazilian man convicted of raping a child in his home country and then fleeing to the United States was deported in January, immigration authorities said Friday.
Agents with U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement's (ICE) Boston office deported Edimir Gustavo Eckelberg, 62, on Jan. 26, ICE said.
"There is no more repulsive and disturbing crime than the sexual assault of a child," said ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd Lyons. "Our New England communities are safer without the presence of Edimir Gustavo Eckelberg, who is now in the hands of Brazilian authorities. ERO Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by apprehending and removing such violent threats from our New England communities."
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In May 2023, Eckelberg was convicted in Brazil of raping a child.
A court in Florianopolis, Brazil convicted Eckelberg but he fled to the U.S. before sentencing. He entered the U.S. through New York on a tourist visa in April 2023.
The next month, Brazilian authorities issued a warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear to serve a 12-year sentence for the child rape conviction. He was eventually discovered by authorities and served with a notice to appear before an immigration judge. He was held in custody until his deportation.
He was arrested by ICE agents on Nov. 28, 2023 in the Boston suburb of Tewksbury.
