From Dallas Express · Dallas Express · · 1m 30s
Former Texas trooper sentenced to 10 years for child enticement
A DPS officer used fake online accounts to solicit explicit images from what he thought was a 12-year-old girl.
In brief
A DPS officer used fake online accounts to solicit explicit images from what he thought was a 12-year-old girl. Law enforcement officers are not exempt from prosecution for child exploitation crimes, and federal authorities actively pursue online predators across platforms. Originally reported by Dallas Express.
Former trooper sentenced to 10 years
Christian Estrada, a 40-year-old Texas DPS trooper from Laredo, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor into sexual activity.
FBI caught him using fake accounts
From April to December 2025, the FBI ran an undercover operation tracking a Reddit user called 'dopehound' who expressed sexual interest in a fictitious 12-year-old girl and requested explicit images.
He moved to direct messaging with the child
In November 2025, Estrada asked to communicate directly with the supposed girl and began messaging an undercover account he believed belonged to the child on Snapchat.
Search revealed more victims
When federal agents searched his Laredo home in January 2026, they found Snapchat conversations with multiple people claiming to be 14 or 15 years old on his seized phone.
Lifetime restrictions and sex offender status
Beyond his 10-year sentence, Estrada must serve lifetime supervised release with restrictions on internet and child access, and register as a sex offender.
His law enforcement role aggravated the crime
The court specifically noted Estrada's position as a DPS trooper when imposing the sentence, treating his badge as an aggravating factor in the case.
“Protecting minors from the depraved schemes of online sexual predators is a top priority for the Southern District of Texas.”
Here's the gist
Law enforcement officers are not exempt from prosecution for child exploitation crimes, and federal authorities actively pursue online predators across platforms.
