Former Army Civilian Employee Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing Children

# Former Army Civilian Employee Sentenced to 15 Years for Child Sexual Abuse

Thelmo Meneses Santos, Jr., 60, of Merced, California, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on March 24, 2026, for sexually abusing two minor children. Santos, a civilian employee of the U.S. Army stationed in Japan, sexually abused both victims multiple times between 2015 and 2023, beginning when each child was 11 years old.

During a law enforcement interview, Santos admitted to engaging in sexual acts with both minors. He was arrested in Hawaii by Army Criminal Investigation Division agents. Following his arrest, Santos attempted to persuade one victim to recant her abuse allegations. The investigation was conducted by the Army's Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI.

In addition to his prison sentence, Santos will serve 10 years of supervised release, pay restitution to his victims, and register as a sex offender under federal law. The case was prosecuted by the Justice Department's Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California as part of Project Safe Childhood, a federal initiative combating child sexual exploitation.