PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – A 44-year-old man of Barto, Pennsylvania, has pleaded guilty Friday to engaging in sexual conduct with a minor, producing and possessing child pornography, among other related charges.
Former Tower Health doctor, Dr. Habib Bhatti, pleaded guilty to charges of one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, one count of attempt to entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct, two counts of production of child pornography, and two counts of possessing child pornography, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Bhatti was arrested on a criminal complaint in September 2025 and charged this June, according to authorities. The release says the charges arose from Bhatti traveling across the country to meet minors to engage in sexual acts, secretly recording himself engaging in sexual activity with minors, and possession of child sexual abuse material.
With Friday’s plea, he has waived prosecution by indictment.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by Bhatti, from around July to November 2024, the man used the internet to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a minor into engaging in sexual activity that would constitute a criminal offense, specifically, attempted statutory sexual assault.
Around November 2024, the man traveled from Pennsylvania to California with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with two juvenile victims, according to court documents.
Officials say in December 2018, Bhatti sexually exploited two additional victims, persuading each minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of those acts.
Bhatti also possessed multiple devices containing child sexual abuse material, with at least one of the minors depicted being a prepubescent child under 12 years of age, according to the U.S. Attorney.
In addition to the offenses detailed above, Bhatti admitted to committing offenses involving 24 additional young girls, according to authorities.
The release says Bhatti would primarily meet the young victims online and offer them money in exchange for sexually explicit photos and/or for in-person sexual encounters.
The victims were between 14 and 17 years old at the time of the crimes, according to the Attorney’s Office. To determine Bhatti’s sentence, these additional offenses will be treated as if the man had been convicted of 24 additional counts of production of child pornography.
Authorities say Bhatti is scheduled to be sentenced on October 29 and faces a maximum possible term of life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment.