As reported by PWMania.com, former WWE star Duke Droese, whose real name is Mike Droese, was indicted in May 2025 on a charge of Attempted Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. This charge stems from allegations that he used a Coinbase account to attempt to purchase child pornography online.
According to PWInsider.com, a judge in Warren County, Tennessee, has scheduled a trial date for March 18, 2027, regarding this case. The report also mentions that Droese has until January 27, 2027, to negotiate a potential plea deal with prosecutors, which could allow him to avoid a trial. It remains unclear whether any plea deal is currently being discussed. If convicted, Droese could face a sentence of two to four years in prison.
A press release issued at the time of Droese’s arrest noted that:
“On April 21, 2024, Michael Droese used his Coinbase account to attempt to purchase child sexual assault material (child pornography) from the Dark Web. The transaction was flagged and terminated prior to the purchase being completed.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation initially received the tip from Coinbase regarding Mr. Droese’s attempted purchase of child sexual assault material. It is largely unknown what actions the FBI took to initially investigate this matter. However, on March 19, 2025, Investigator Jason Walker with the Warren County Sheriff’s Department first received a tip from the FBI regarding Mr. Droese’s alleged criminal conduct. Investigator Walker immediately forwarded the information to me. March 19, 2025 also marks the first date any local or state law enforcement official had any knowledge of Mr. Droese’s alleged criminal conduct.”
