Thelmo Meneses Santos, Jr., Child Sex Abuse, California 2024

A California man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexually abusing two minors while working as a civilian employee for the U.S. Army in Japan. Thelmo Meneses Santos, Jr., 60, of Merced, California, was found guilty of sexually abusing the two minor children multiple times between 2015 and 2023.

According to court documents, Santos began sexually abusing both minors when they were 11 years old. The abuse continued until 2023, and Santos was arrested in Hawaii by Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) agents in an undisclosed date. During the investigation, Santos gave an interview to law enforcement officers where he admitted to engaging in sexual acts with both minor children. He also attempted to unlawfully influence one of his victims to falsely recant her report of sexual abuse.

In addition to his sentence of imprisonment, Santos will be required to pay restitution to his victims and to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

Santos’ sentence is a result of a joint investigation by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Eduardo A. Palomo of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa for the Eastern District of California.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. The initiative marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

Thelmo Meneses Santos, Jr. was sentenced to 15 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release for sexually abusing two minors. He is required to pay restitution to his victims and to register as a sex offender.

The case highlights the importance of addressing child sex abuse and exploitation, and the need for continued efforts to protect victims and bring perpetrators to justice.

Related Federal Cases