Recidivist Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Transfer Obscene Materials to a Minor

OCALA, Fla. — A Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando investigation into a recidivist and registered sex offender has led to him pleading guilty to attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor and committing a felony offense involving a minor.

Imran Siddiqi, 40, of North Port, has pleaded guilty as a registered sex offender. Siddiqi faces a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment on the first count followed by a minimum mandatory 10-year sentence on the second count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the court documents, between Jan. 31 and March 6, 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, was convicted in state court of traveling to meet a parent to solicit/entice a child to commit a sex act in 2016.

This case is being prosecuted by Middle District of Florida Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

To report any information about human trafficking, child sexual abuse or the trafficking in child sexual abuse material, contact the HSI Tip Line at 877-4-HSI-TIP or report it through the CyberTipline on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's website. All tipsters can request to remain anonymous.