FALL RIVER — A 55-year-old Brazilian national living in the United States illegally has been sentenced to 8 to 10 years in state prison after pleading guilty to raping a woman and possessing child pornography, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn announced Tuesday.

Elias Rodrigues Dos Santos Mendes pleaded guilty Monday in Fall River Superior Court to two counts of rape, assault to rape, indecent assault and battery on a person over 14, and possessing child pornography.

The case began when the victim, an adult woman, arrived in the United States with her four children in March 2024, planning to settle in Fall River. She was introduced to Dos Santos Mendes, who was known to her, and told he could help her family find housing.

Instead, prosecutors say, he targeted her daughter.

'Take nude photos of your daughter'

According to prosecutors, Dos Santos Mendes saw the victim's 12-year-old daughter and asked the mother to take nude photos and videos of the child so he could sell them for money. He also showed the victim "numerous videos and photos on his phone of nude children," the DA's office said.

When the victim refused to involve her daughter, Dos Santos Mendes "became angry," prosecutors said. The two were in his vehicle in Fall River at the time.

He then sexually assaulted and raped the victim in his vehicle.

DNA sealed it

After the victim reported the rape to police, investigators seized two of Dos Santos Mendes' phones. He claimed one device was brand new, telling police he had broken one of his phones the week before.

Police recovered a video containing child pornography on one of the devices.

The victim sought medical treatment following the assault, which yielded a DNA sample. That sample was a match to Dos Santos Mendes.

'A disturbed and deranged mind'

"This defendant took advantage of his position of familiarity and trust with the victim to rape her after attempting to convince her to take nude photos of her children, which she refused," Quinn said.

"He was also caught with child pornography on his phone. This clearly demonstrates a disturbed and deranged mind."

Dos Santos Mendes will be subject to deportation when his sentence is finished, the DA said.

The case adds to a growing list of illegal immigrants in Massachusetts convicted of sex crimes, including another Brazilian national arrested by ICE for child rape in December and multiple ICE operations targeting illegal immigrants with sex offense records across the state.