A California man has pleaded guilty to federal charges for sexually abusing two minors while employed as a civilian with the U.S. Army overseas.
According to court documents, Thelmo Meneses Santos Jr., 60, of Merced, California, engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with two children under the age of 16 between 2015 and 2023 while stationed in Japan. He admitted to the offenses during an interview with law enforcement. He was later arrested in Hawaii by Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) special agents.
As part of his plea agreement, Santos faces up to 15 years in prison, lifetime supervised release, restitution to the victims, a $250,000 fine, and mandatory registration as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 10, 2026.
The case was investigated by the Army CID’s Far East Field Office and the FBI. It was prosecuted under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative.
