A judge on Wednesday ordered freed from jail a former University of Florida international student who spent the last year behind bars. The order came as part of a plea agreement after he acknowledged his role in the sexual assault of a classmate last year in her off-campus apartment.
Circuit Judge Denise Ferrero found the defendant guilty and sentenced him to 367 days in jail, with credit for the 372 days he already spent in the Alachua County Jail. He had faced up to six years in state prison.
Anghelo Luisin Ita Durand pleaded no contest to an amended charge of aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony and a first-degree misdemeanor charge of stalking.
Ita Durand did not speak except to answer “si” to the judge. He did not seem to be upset or have any emotion while in the courtroom. Durand used an interpreter to help communicate with the judge.
Ita Durand, 31, was arrested in Oct. 2025 after a woman accused him of raping her and continuing to contact her after she had asked him to stop.
Ita Durand, from Peru, had been the recipient of the full-tuition J.C. Casagrande Peace Scholarship through its English Language Institute in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Ita Durand met the victim while they were enrolled in a class together at UF. Police said that the woman asked him to help assemble furniture at her apartment in July 2025. Later, the two went out for drinks and later returned to the Victim’s apartment.
According to the statement the victim made to the police, when they went back to the victim’s apartment Ita Durand forced the victim into the bedroom and raped her.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Ita Durand’s attorney asked whether anything could be done so he doesn’t have to serve additional time.
The court credited him with 372 days already served in the Alachua County Jail. The prosecutor said the state took no specific position on the request.
“She (the victim) has given the state permission to move the case forward as they see fit.” Nicole Reid, the assistant state attorney, said.
The prosecutor told the court that the victim no longer attends UF.
According to records from the UF’s registrar's office, Ita Durand is not listed as a student enrolled at UF for the current, fall semester. Ita Durand is still banned from stepping on UF’s campus. This ban continues and does not expire until Oct. 16, 2028.
His conviction could face some immigration consequences. This may include detention, deportation or removal from the country, and ability to reenter the United States. Ita Durand waived his right to a jury trial and his right to a direct appeal in this case.
This case comes as allegations of sexual assault at colleges have drawn national attention. At the college a former student accused fraternity members of rape.
At UF, there has been a reported 87 rape offesnes on its Gainesville campus in 2025. However, 70 of these reportedly involved the same person and same accuser. These statistics do not establish whether allegations were confirmed.