A Fall River man pleaded guilty to rape and child pornography charges on Monday after sexually assaulting a woman who refused to take nude photos of her young daughter, prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Elias Rodrigues Dos Santos Mendes, 55, was sentenced in Fall River Superior Court to eight to ten years in state prison. Because he is undocumented, Dos Santos Mendes will be deported back to Brazil after serving his sentence, the office of Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said in a press release.

Dos Santos Mendes faced multiple charges, including two counts of rape, one count of assault to rape, indecent assault and battery on a person over 14, and possession of child pornography, according to the DA.

Prosecutors revealed that in March 2024, Dos Santos Mendes met an adult woman who was acquainted with him prior to their meeting, as well as her four children. The family had recently arrived in the United States with plans to reside in Fall River. Dos Santos Mendes offered to assist the woman and her children in finding housing.

While the victim and Dos Santos Mendes were speaking inside his car, he asked her to take naked photos of her 12-year-old daughter so he could allegedly sell them online. He also showed the victim numerous videos and photos of naked children on his phone.

When the victim refused to comply, Dos Santos Mendes became angry and then sexually assaulted and raped her inside his vehicle, the DA’s office stated.

The victim reported the incident to the police and sought medical treatment, which included collecting a DNA sample. That sample was later matched to Dos Santos Mendes.

During the investigation, police confiscated multiple phones belonging to Dos Santos Mendes, including a brand-new device. He claimed to have broken one of his phones the week prior.

A search of the devices uncovered a video containing child pornography, prosecutors said.

District Attorney Thomas Quinn condemned the actions, stating, “This behavior clearly demonstrates a disturbed and deranged mind.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Canan Yesilcimen and Kalene Kobza.
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2026/03/04/fall-river-man-sentenced-for-raping-woman-when-she-refused-to-take-naked-pictures-of-young-daughter/