Aurora Priest Pleads Guilty To Sexual Abuse Of Young Girls

AURORA, IL — A former Aurora priest pleaded guilty Friday to the sexual abuse of two girls under the age of 13. As part of his plea agreement for misdemeanor battery, Alfredo Pedraza Arias, will not be required to register as a sex offender, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Arias, a Columbia citizen now faces possible deportation.

According to the Kane County Sheriff's Office, Arias, who once served as pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish and Sacred Heart Parish was released from jail on Saturday morning. Arias will be placed on sex offender probation for two years.

Arias was arrested in Feb. 2016 and charged with two counts of criminal sex abuse of a minor. According to police, Arias was a priest at Sacred Heart Parish when he sexually abused the two girls between 2009 and 2014 at on child's home and at church.

Arias was suspended from ministry in 2014 after the incidents first came to light.

Chicago Tribune reports that Arias posted bail in May and was immediately taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He was later ordered voluntarily deported, but prosecutors pursued a bail increase to keep him in the states for his trial.

>>Related: Aurora Priest Accused of Sexually Abusing 2 Children

After bail was increased again, Arias posted and was once again taken into custody by immigration officials.

The judge reportedly upped bail again, which landed Arias in jail in July 2017, where he had been held before his guilty plea.

There's a chance ICE will take Arias into custody again. Patch will update this article with any new developments.

>>More via Chicago Tribune

>>Image via Kane County Sheriff's Office