Former Texas DPS trooper sentenced to 10 years in prison after FBI finds chats with minors
(Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images)
AUSTIN, Texas - A former Texas Department of Public Safety trooper was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after admitting he tried to entice someone that he believed was a 12-year-old girl into sexual activity.
What we know:
40-year-old Christian Estrada, of Laredo, pleaded guilty on April 8 to attempting to entice a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.
Estrada was ordered to serve 120 months in prison. He also must serve supervised release for the rest of his life and register as a sex offender.
"During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet," prosecutors said in a news release.
Undercover investigation began online
The backstory:
From April through December 2025, Estrada communicated with undercover law enforcement officers on Reddit, Snapchat and Telegram while using the username "dopehound," prosecutors said.
Investigators said Estrada expressed sexual interest in a fictitious 12-year-old girl, discussed arranging a meeting with her and repeatedly requested nude or sexually explicit images.
According to prosecutors, in November 2025, Estrada asked to communicate directly with the girl and provided his Snapchat account information. He later initiated a conversation with an undercover account he believed belonged to the girl and continued discussing sexual activity.
Records obtained from Reddit helped investigators identify Estrada as the person using the "dopehound" account.
Texas DPS trooper arrested after FBI finds chats with minors on seized phone
A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper faces federal charges after an FBI undercover operation allegedly caught him attempting to entice a person he believed was a 12-year-old girl into sexual activity.
Estrada confirmed the account belonged to him
Dig deeper:
At the time of the investigation, Estrada was a sworn Texas state trooper assigned to Laredo.
Federal agents later searched his home and interviewed him at another location. During the interview, Estrada confirmed the "dopehound" Telegram account belonged to him, prosecutors said.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Estrada was arrested Jan. 8 and was immediately suspended by DPS, according to court records from the earlier stages of the case. He will remain in custody until he is transferred to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
What's next:
The case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Justice Department initiative focused on investigating and prosecuting child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.