Nicholas Vassallo | U.S. Department of Justice
Gabriel Estrada, a 30-year-old resident of Denver, Colorado, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor into illegal sexual activity. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson delivered the sentence on January 13 in Cheyenne, which includes five years of supervised release following imprisonment.
Estrada was convicted by a federal jury on October 25, 2024. Evidence presented during the trial showed that Estrada used an online chat platform to engage with what he believed was a 13-year-old girl for sexual purposes. The persona was actually an undercover agent posing as a young female from Laramie, Wyoming. Estrada communicated with this persona about engaging in sexual acts and even asked if she had a friend who would join them.
Estrada traveled from Denver to Laramie after confirming the meeting with the supposed minor. Upon his arrival, he was arrested by law enforcement officers who found incriminating text messages on his iPhone and two condoms in his possession.
"The Internet can be a dangerous place for our children because of people like this defendant," stated United States Attorney Eric Heimann. "The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to support proactive law enforcement actions aimed at identifying and arresting individuals who are ready, willing, and eager to sexually abuse children."
The investigation was conducted by the Laramie Police Department and the FBI, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Z. Seth Griswold prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project involves collaboration among federal, state, and local resources to identify and prosecute offenders using the internet for such crimes and aims to rescue victims.
Case No. CR-24-00033
