Gujarati techie held in US for trying to exploit minors; how undercover op by ‘teen girls’ nailed him

AHMEDABAD: In an undercover operation in the US by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC), a US-based tech professional of Gujarati origin has been arrested in Florida for allegedly attempting to exploit minors.

The accused, Siddharth Sunil Kumar Patel, 41, a resident of Frisco, Texas, was taken into custody on May 14. According to a Lake City Police Department press release, Patel “engaged in sexually explicit conversations with individuals he believed to be minors” and was apprehended “without incident” after traveling to the area for a planned sexual encounter.

Following his arrest, he was transported to the Columbia County Detention Center. The arrest was carried out under an ongoing “Internet Crimes Against Children Operation.”

Patel faces multiple felony charges, including “use computer to seduce solicit lure child” and “sexual assault by person over 18; victim over 12 under 15”. He is also charged with “travel to meet after using a computer to lure child”. Under Florida law, these charges carry the potential for significant prison time if he is convicted.

The sting began when Lake City detectives “posted undercover advertisements on a website commonly used to arrange sexual encounters”.

According to the press release, investigators “posing as teenage girls” communicated with multiple individuals, including Patel, whose digital interactions allegedly revealed a clear intent to exploit children.

Police chief Gerald Butler highlighted the gravity of the mission, stating in the official release, “Protecting children from individuals who use the internet to prey on minors remains one of our highest priorities”. Butler confirmed that “this is the sixth arrest connected to this operation this week,” describing the investigations as “proactive efforts to identify dangerous offenders before a child becomes a victim”.

Authorities have urged anyone with information about similar crimes to contact the Lake City Police Department, or report anonymously via the LCPD TIPS line or Crime Stoppers of Columbia County.

The ICAC Task Force, a nationwide initiative, has been conducting coordinated operations across several states to identify offenders before children fall victim, officers said.