Mohammad Ebrahim Torki Harchegani, 38, has been charged with attempted enticement of a minor for sexual activity. The charge was revealed during a contested bond hearing where an FBI special agent testified about an online sting operation targeting child sex offenders.
The operation, conducted on December 3-4, 2024, involved multiple agencies and an officer posing as a 14-year-old female online. Torki engaged in sexually explicit conversations with the purported minor and subsequently traveled to what he believed was her residence to engage in sexual acts, where he was arrested.
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During the hearing, it was revealed that Torki was employed as a researcher at the University of South Carolina at the time of the alleged offense. Following his arrest, his employment was suspended, and his contract with the university was not renewed.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
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Torki was ordered detained at the hearing and faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment if convicted. The investigation was a collaborative effort involving the FBI Columbia Field Office, the South Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elle E. Klein and Winston Holliday are prosecuting the case.
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