October 31, 2014

California Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing Minor

LAKE CHARLES, LA—United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Californian pleaded guilty and was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison for sexually abusing a minor at Fort Polk.

Michael Anthony Zeno, 61, of Los Angeles, Calif., was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi for one count of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor. He was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release. According to the evidence presented at the guilty plea, which also took place Thursday, the defendant entered the room of a minor relative under the age of 12 on June 1, 2007 and began performing a sex act on her while she slept. After the child woke up, Zeno exited the room. The home was located on the Fort Polk Military base.

The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s 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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Those concerned may also leave tips with the FBI at tips.fbi.gov. Tips may be submitted anonymously. The Lake Charles FBI office number is (337) 433-6353.