A former Texas state trooper is going to federal prison for 10 years. Christian Estrada, 40, tried to set up a meeting with a girl. He believed she was 12 years old. He wanted to have sex with her. At the time, he worked as a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper in Laredo.

A federal judge handed down the sentence on September 16, 2026. U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo sits on the federal court in Laredo. She also ordered Estrada to register as a sex offender for life. He must stay on supervised release for life too. Courts will watch him closely. He cannot use the internet freely. He cannot be around kids without permission.

Estrada pleaded guilty back in April 2026. He admitted to one federal charge. It is called coercion and enticement of a minor. In plain words, that means trying to talk a child into sex. It is a serious felony. The law sets a floor of 10 years in prison. A judge can go as high as life. Estrada got the floor.

The FBI built the case with a sting. Agents ran it from April to December 2025. They posed online as a parent and as a 12-year-old girl. Estrada found the fake accounts on Reddit, Snapchat, and Telegram. He used the screen name "dopehound."

Court records lay out what happened next. Estrada asked the fake girl for sex photos. He talked about meeting her in person for sex. Investigators say he also claimed he had touched a 13-year-old before. That claim came from his own chats. It was not tied to any other confirmed case.

Agents moved in with a search warrant on January 8, 2026. They took Estrada's phone. Inside, they found more chats. Some were with other users. Those users claimed to be 14 and 15 years old. Texas DPS pulled Estrada off duty that same day.

The FBI led the investigation. Texas DPS helped. Prosecutors filed the case under Project Safe Childhood. That is a national push to catch adults who target kids online. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Makens handled the case in court.

Estrada's badge should have meant trust. Parents count on troopers to protect kids. They do not expect a trooper to target them. Instead, records show he spent months chasing a child online. He kept wearing the uniform the whole time.

Estrada will serve his full 10 years in prison. When he gets out, he stays on supervised release for life. He must register as a sex offender in every place he lives. Courts will also limit his access to the internet. They will limit his contact with children too.