OCALA, Fla. — A previously convicted sex offender was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor and committing a felony offense involving a minor as a registered sex offender following an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa.
Imran Siddiqi, 40, of North Port, entered a guilty plea to the charges on July 22, 2024.
“This predator once again attempted to violate the innocence and vulnerability of a child,” said HSI Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Micah C. McCombs. “HSI, alongside our law enforcement partners, is steadfast in our commitment to work tirelessly investigating anyone who attempts to exploit children.”
According to court documents, between Jan. 31 and March 6, 2024, Siddiqi engaged in a conversation with an undercover law enforcement officer who was posing online as a 13-year-old girl. During the conversation, Siddiqi repeatedly described his desire to have sex with the child, sending multiple explicit photographs of himself along with images of adult pornography to the undercover officer. Siddiqi, a registered sex offender, previously was convicted in state court of traveling to meet a parent to solicit and entice a child to commit a sex act in 2016.
This case was investigated by HSI Tampa. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
HSI Tampa’s area of responsibility, which includes 10 geographically strategic offices, covers more than 51,600 square miles of the total 65,757 square miles in the state of Florida. This region has more than 14.2 million people and includes 58 of the 67 counties. HSI Tampa also includes five of the 10 largest cities in Florida, 15 primary commercial service airports, and 11 seaports.
Learn more about HSI Tampa’s mission to increase public safety in Florida communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @HSITampa.
To report any information about human trafficking, child sexual abuse, or the trafficking in child sexual abuse material contact the HSI Tip Line at 1-877-4-HSI-TIP or report it through the CyberTipline on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's website.