A former Texas juvenile probation officer has been sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison after admitting he traveled to meet what he believed was an 11-year-old girl for sex, federal prosecutors announced.

Steven Dale Criddle, 51, of Bryan, was sentenced to 190 months in federal prison on July 1 after pleading guilty to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, according to U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs of the Eastern District of Texas.

U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle imposed the sentence.

According to court records, Criddle communicated on the dark web with an individual he believed was the mother of an 11-year-old girl and arranged to sexually abuse the child.

On September 28, 2025, Criddle drove approximately three hours from Bryan to Wylie, where he believed the meeting would take place.

Instead, he was arrested by law enforcement.

Prosecutors said Criddle admitted he traveled to Wylie intending to sexually abuse the child. He also acknowledged that child sexual abuse material was found on his cellphone.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Anderson.

The case was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide U.S. Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat the online sexual exploitation and abuse of children. The program coordinates federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts to identify victims, investigate offenders, and prosecute crimes involving child exploitation.