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Federal Jury Convicts Brandon Man of Preying on Niece, 12

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He sexually battered her and falsified records indicating she was an adult so that he could marry her, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

TAMPA – A federal jury has convicted a Brandon man of trying to turn his 12-year-old niece into his child-bride, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.

Mirza Afzal Hussain, 55, Brandon, was found guilty of coercion and enticement of a minor, document fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

Hussain faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison for the enticement conviction, a maximum of 15 years’ imprisonment for the document fraud conviction, and a mandatory, consecutive two-year term of imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft conviction. Hussain’s sentencing hearing is scheduled April 11.

According to evidence presented at trial, Hussain agreed to house his sister and her family, including two minor daughters, when the relatives legally immigrated to the U.S. from Bangladesh in 2010. Hussain’s relatives were culturally and socially isolated, did not have employment, lacked transportation, and spoke very little English. During their stay at his house, Hussain developed a romantic and sexual interest in his 12-year old niece. He bought the child tight, American styled-clothing, romantic jewelry, and cellphones. He also sexually battered his niece and started living with her openly as if she were his spouse—in front of her family and his wife.

Hussain’s wife left him, and, in early 2012, the relatives, including his 12-year-old niece, also moved out of his home. For several years, Hussain continued to contact his niece. He signed her out of school, lingered outside her new residence, and continued to contact her by phone frequently. Hussain sent numerous sexually explicit text messages to his niece—professing his love for her and his intention to marry her, discussing sex with her, soliciting naked photographs from her, and asking her to masturbate for him. He also manipulated her into falsifying reports claiming her parents were abusing her.

In November 2012, Hussain traveled to Bangladesh and obtained a false birth certificate that changed his niece’s birthdate, making her appear to be three years older, attorneys said. He returned to the U.S. and used that birth certificate to fraudulently obtain a new Legal Permanent Resident Card reflecting her new birth year. Hussain then showed up at his niece’s home and tried to take her away from her parents—presenting the Legal Permanent Resident Card as proof that she was an adult.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

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