A former Corpus Christi Police Department Officer is heading to prison after pleading guilty to the federal charge of enticement of a minor.
On Thursday, Judge David S. Morales sentenced Daniel Abelardo Verduzco to 15 years in prison. Once he's released, he will be placed on 10 years of supervised probation, and he must register as a sex offender.
As part of the plea agreement, Verduzco has waived his right to appeal.
The investigation into Verduzco began on Jan.8, when an Oklahoma woman, formerly of Corpus Christi, discovered disturbing Snapchat messages on her daughter's phone while the teen was hospitalized following a suicide attempt.
The victim's mother notified police, who found 3,739 messages between Verduzco and the victim. Through their investigation, they learned Verduzco had been in a relationship with the girl since May 2024.
Their sexual relationship began after the young girl moved from Corpus Christi to Oklahoma.
On Jan. 19, Homeland Security agents arrested Verduzco. Four months later, Verduzco pleaded guilty to one federal charge of enticement of a minor. Soon after, the Corpus Christi Police Department placed Verduzco on administrative leave.
According to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, Verduzco was employed by CCPD between March 2022 and February 2025.
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