On September 24, 2025, Roberto Nicolas-Simon, a 24-year-old Guatemalan national, entered a guilty plea in a federal court for being illegally in the United States and neglecting to update his sex offender registration, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois. Following his conviction for aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor, Nicolas-Simon had been previously deported, with mandates to register under the Sex Offender Notification and Registration Act.
His plea was entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long, where Nicolas-Simon admitted to having knowingly failed to update his registration after illegally reentering the United States. An investigation earlier this year uncovered that he had been residing in Champaign, Illinois, without notifying authorities of his location. Nicolas-Simon, currently held by the U.S. Marshals Service, awaits his sentencing, which is scheduled for February 2, 2026, at the U.S. Courthouse in Urbana, Illinois.
During the hearing, it was noted that the defendant could face significant legal repercussions. "Nicolas-Simon faces statutory penalties of up to ten years of imprisonment and up to a $250,000 fine for each offense," according to the aforementioned Justice Department statement. Furthermore, he is liable for supervised release of up to three years for the immigration violation and a potential lifetime of supervised release for the sex offender registry omission.
The collaborative efforts of the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the United States Marshals Service brought to light Nicolas-Simon's violations. The case is presently being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William J. Lynch. It serves not just to penalize but also to underline the critical importance of compliance with registration laws designed to protect the community, especially its most vulnerable.
