A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper with more than a fifteen years of service has been indicted in federal court on allegations that he attempted to entice a minor into sexual activity through online communications. Court records filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas identify the defendant as Christian Estrada, a sworn Texas peace officer assigned to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Federal prosecutors allege Estrada used online messaging platforms to communicate with individuals he believed to be minors and attempted to persuade them to engage in illegal sexual activity. The indictment charges Estrada with coercion and enticement of a minor under Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b), a federal offense that carries a potential penalty of 10 years to life in prison if convicted. 

According to state records, Estrada has been licensed as a peace officer since March 27, 2009, with the Texas Department of Public Safety listed as his employing agency.

Federal Investigation and Online Communications

According to a federal criminal complaint filed by an FBI special agent, the investigation began during an online undercover operation involving an FBI Online Undercover Employee (OCE). Investigators state that beginning around April 2025, the undercover employee communicated with a user operating under the screen name “dopehound.” Those communications allegedly occurred across several online platforms, including Reddit, Snapchat, and Telegram. Over the course of the conversations, investigators say the user began discussing sexual topics involving a fictitious 12-year-old girl presented as the undercover employee’s daughter. 

The complaint states that the online conversations allegedly escalated quickly. According to investigators, the user asked whether the child had explicit photographs and repeatedly requested sexually explicit images of the fictitious minor. In one exchange cited in the affidavit, the user allegedly asked if the child had images depicting sexual acts and requested “nudes.” The complaint states that the account also asked the undercover employee if the minor could communicate with him directly through Snapchat. Federal investigators say that request led to additional conversations in which the user believed he was speaking directly with the 12-year-old girl. 

In excerpts included in the complaint, the user allegedly asked the person he believed to be the minor whether she had “sexy pics” and suggested that she might have “action shots,” referring to sexually explicit photographs. Investigators say the conversations also contained questions about sexual activity and requests for images depicting sexual acts. The affidavit states that these exchanges formed a key part of the probable cause used by federal agents to continue the investigation. 

The affidavit also references earlier statements made by the user during conversations with the undercover employee. According to the document, the account claimed to have previously had sexual contact with a 13-year-old girl in a neighboring city. Investigators cited that statement as part of a pattern of sexually explicit discussions involving minors. The complaint does not indicate whether that claim was independently verified.

Linking the Online Identity to Estrada

Federal investigators say they eventually traced the online activity to Christian Estrada through a combination of subpoenas and digital records. According to the complaint, a subpoena return from Reddit in December 2025 provided information that helped agents identify the individual behind the “dopehound” account. Investigators say the data linked the account activity to a residence in Laredo, Texas, where Estrada lived. 

The complaint also states that the account included posts in which the user described himself as a law-enforcement officer with approximately 16 years of experience. In addition, investigators say the account mentioned living in north Laredo near the intersection of Shiloh Drive and International Boulevard. Agents noted that the details about the user’s employment, location, and background were consistent with information connected to Estrada. 

Additional identifying details allegedly appeared in online conversations with other Reddit users. According to investigators, the account shared information about the user’s approximate height and weight, along with the high school he attended and the year he graduated. Federal agents stated those details were consistent with Estrada’s personal history and helped corroborate the identification of the account holder. The affidavit states that these pieces of information collectively led investigators to conclude that the online account belonged to Estrada. 

Search of Estrada’s Residence

Federal agents executed a search warrant at Estrada’s residence on January 8, 2026, according to the complaint. Investigators say they interviewed Estrada while the search was being conducted. During the interview, the affidavit states that Estrada acknowledged that the Telegram account “dopehound” belonged to him. When investigators showed Estrada screenshots of the alleged conversations, the complaint states he told agents that he did not recall the messages. However, according to the affidavit, he also indicated that no one else in his household would have been responsible for sending the messages connected to the accounts.

Investigators also reported seizing Estrada’s phone under the authority of the search warrant. According to the complaint, the device contained Snapchat conversations with users whose profiles listed ages of 14 and 15. One account mentioned in the affidavit was reportedly titled “15 for older.” The FBI agent who authored the complaint stated that the evidence obtained during the search further supported probable cause for the federal charge. 

Federal Charges and Potential Penalties

A federal grand jury returned an indictment on February 3, 2026, charging Estrada with coercion and enticement of a minor. The indictment alleges that between April 1, 2025, and January 8, 2026, Estrada knowingly attempted to persuade a person he believed to be under the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity that would constitute a criminal offense under federal law. If convicted, Estrada faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Estrada is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

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