WILLMAR, Minn.  — A Minnesota man who eluded authorities for 10 years after being accused of sexually assaulting a 5-year-old girl has agreed to plead guilty and face deportation from the U.S.

Forty-one-year-old Tomas Hernandez Lopez signed the plea deal Monday in Kandiyohi County District Court. He could have faced 10 years in prison if he was convicted of assaulting the girl in 2000. Court records say Lopez was living with the girl’s family and sexually assaulted her more than once. A warrant was issued for his arrest, but he remained at large until authorities caught up with him in September.

The West Central Tribune says Lopez will be turned over to the federal Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation.