Former Texas State Trooper Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Online Enticement of a Child
By Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2026 Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
LAREDO, Texas — A former Texas Department of Public Safety trooper was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after attempting to entice someone he believed was a 12-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity.
Christian Estrada, 40, of Laredo, Texas pleaded guilty on April 8, 2026. U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo ordered Estrada to serve 120 months in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
During sentencing, the court noted how disturbing it was that someone holding a respected law enforcement position would commit such an offense.
Estrada will be required to follow numerous restrictions involving his access to children and the internet after completing his prison sentence. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
According to federal prosecutors, law enforcement conducted an undercover investigation involving Estrada from April through December 2025.
Estrada allegedly used the name “dopehound” while communicating through Reddit, Snapchat and Telegram. During those conversations, he expressed a sexual interest in a fictitious 12-year-old girl and discussed arranging a meeting to engage in sexual activity.
Investigators said Estrada also repeatedly requested nude or sexually explicit images of the child.
In November 2025, Estrada asked to communicate directly with the girl and provided his Snapchat account information.
He later began communicating with an undercover account he believed belonged to the 12-year-old.
Authorities obtained records from Reddit that helped identify Estrada as the person operating the “dopehound” account.
Estrada was employed as a sworn Texas DPS trooper at the time.
Federal agents later executed a search warrant at his residence while investigators interviewed him at a separate location.
During the interview, Estrada admitted that the Telegram account belonged to him.
U.S. Attorney Aaron F. Reitz said protecting children from online sexual predators remained a top priority for the Southern District of Texas.
Estrada remained in federal custody while awaiting transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Makens prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Justice Department initiative created to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
