Anderson man to serve more than four decades in federal prison for child sexual abuse crimes

Submitted by U.S. Attorney’s Office

Keynan Santos, 44, Anderson, has been sentenced to 44 years and one month in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a child, possession of child sexual abuse material, and committing a felony offense while required to register as a sex offender. Santos was also ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to Minor Victim 1.

Santos has a prior 2015 conviction for two felony counts of Child Molesting and was sentenced to eight years in the Indiana Department of Correction. As a result of that conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender for life.

According to court documents, between November and December 2024, Santos lived in Anderson with Minor Victim 1, who was under 12 years old at the time and under his care and custody. During this period, Santos sexually abused and exploited the child and recorded the abuse. He also messaged the victim and persuaded her to create and send additional sexually explicit images.

The Hamilton County Metro ICAC Task Force was alerted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children after Google flagged an upload of child sexual abuse material linked to Santos’ account. Investigators subsequently searched Santos’ laptop and cell phone, discovering more than 600 images of child sexual abuse material across his devices.

“No child should ever fear the person entrusted with their safety. The defendant’s exploitation of a child in his care is a heartbreaking betrayal of the trust every child deserves at home,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “The horrific abuse inflicted on this young victim is unconscionable, and our office will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to protect children, hold offenders fully accountable, and bring justice to survivors.”

“There is no safe harbor for those who prey on children,” said Homeland Security Investigations Chicago Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino. “This sentence reflects the gravity of the defendant’s crimes: those who abuse children, produce child sexual abuse material, or use the internet to continue their crimes will be found, arrested, and held accountable. HSI is proud to stand with our federal, state, and local partners in protecting victims and bringing offenders to justice.”

“The Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force commends the collaborative work of the Hamilton County Metro ICAC Task Force and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations,” said Indiana State Police Lieutenant Christopher Cecil, the commander of the Indiana ICAC Task Force. “The ICAC is about building teams and working together to make our communities safer for children and their families.”

“We are fortunate to have a strong relationship with our federal partners, and the sentence imposed exemplifies the commitment to holding offenders accountable,” said Lt. Doug Baker, Hamilton County Metro ICAC Task Force Supervisor.

The Hamilton County Metro ICAC Task Force investigated this case with assist from Homeland Security Investigations. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Justin R. Olson.

U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle M. Sawa, who prosecuted this case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood 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.

If you are a victim of child sexual exploitation, please contact your local police department. Resources for victims of child exploitation can be found at justice.gov/usao-sdin/project-safe-childhood.

This investigation was conducted by the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a multiagency task force led by the Indiana State Police that investigates and prosecutes persons who use the internet to sexually exploit or entice children. Each year, Indiana ICAC investigators evaluate thousands of tips, investigate hundreds of cases, and rescue dozens of children from ongoing sexual abuse. Visit internetcrimesagainstkids.com to learn more about their efforts.