Michele Beckwith Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
A Merced, California man has pleaded guilty to charges of sexually abusing two minors under the age of 16 while employed as a civilian by the U.S. Army overseas. Thelmo Meneses Santos Jr., 60, admitted to repeated abuse of the children between 2015 and 2023 in Japan.
Court documents state that Santos began abusing one victim when the child was 11 years old. He abused both victims over several years during his employment with the Army in Japan. During an interview with law enforcement, Santos confessed to engaging in sexual acts with both minors. He was arrested in Hawaii by special agents from the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID).
“The defendant engaged in the repeated sexual abuse of two young children over several years while he was employed as a civilian with the U.S. Army in Japan,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His guilty plea should serve as a warning to anyone who would harm children — even overseas — as long as the Criminal Division has jurisdiction, we will hold you accountable. The abuse and exploitation of children is intolerable, and we will aggressively investigate and prosecute those who engage in such deplorable conduct.”
“As this guilty plea demonstrates, those who exploit and abuse children, whether at home or abroad, will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant for the Eastern District of California. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to ensuring that such heinous acts, including by military employees, are met with consequences that dispense justice and deter future offenses against the vulnerable.”
“We are committed to protecting our overseas military communities from those who exploit and endanger children,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael DeFamio of the Army CID Far East Field Office. “This case is an example of the work our special agents do every day to protect the Soldiers and civilian employees of the Department of the Army and their families.”
“American armed service members should be trusted to keep people safe and uphold values of honor and integrity. The sexual abuse of children is despicable and counter to everything Americans stand for,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, “The FBI and our partners remain vigilant in rooting out those who seek to harm our most vulnerable population, both at home and abroad.”
The investigation was led by agents from Army CID's Far East Field Office with assistance from the FBI. Prosecutors include Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa and Trial Attorney Eduardo A. Palomo from the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
Santos faces up to 15 years in prison, a lifetime term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, restitution payments to his victims, and mandatory registration as a sex offender under SORNA following his sentencing scheduled for February 10, 2026.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood (https://www.justice.gov/psc), an initiative launched by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation through coordinated federal, state, and local efforts.
