A former WWE performer known to fans from the mid-1990s is scheduled to appear in court this week as he faces a felony charge tied to child sexual abuse material.
PWInsider reports that Michael Droese — better known during his wrestling career as Duke “The Dumpster” Droese — appeared in a Warren County Circuit Court in Tennessee on January 13 for a hearing listed as a “plea or trial selection.”
If prosecutors and the defense do not reach a plea agreement, the case will proceed to trial.
Droese, 57, was indicted by a Warren County grand jury on one count of Attempted Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, a Class D felony under Tennessee law.
According to District Attorney General Chris Stanford, the charge stems from an attempted online transaction that was flagged before it could be completed.
“On April 21, 2024, Michael Droese used his Coinbase account to attempt to purchase child sexual assault material from the Dark Web,” Stanford said in a public statement released in May 2025, which was also shared by PWInsider. “The transaction was flagged and terminated prior to the purchase being completed.”
The alert initially came from Coinbase and was forwarded to the FBI. Local authorities were notified months later, on March 19, 2025, at which point the Warren County Sheriff’s Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation became involved.
Stanford credited the TBI’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force with conducting what he described as a swift and effective investigation.
Although the material was never obtained, Stanford explained that intent still mattered under state law. “Purchasing child sexual assault material is an aggravated crime because the money used to purchase the material is what continues to make child sexual assault material profitable for criminal enterprises,” he said.
Because the transaction failed, the charge was filed as a criminal attempt.
After the indictment, Droese surrendered to authorities, posted a $10,000 bond, and was released. He was also terminated from his job as DUI Coordinator for the 31st Judicial District Adult Recovery Court Program. Stanford emphasized that Droese’s role never involved contact with minors.
Droese wrestled regularly until the early 2000s and made sporadic in-ring appearances as recently as 2023. His legal history also includes a 2013 conviction related to selling controlled substances, which led to a short jail sentence and his resignation from a teaching position at the time.
If you suspect child sexual abuse or exploitation, reports can be made to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or online at report.cybertip.org.