Former WWE Superstar facing child pornography charge

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Former WWE wrestler Duke ‘The Dumpster’ Droese was indicted earlier this week by a Tennessee grand jury after allegedly attempting to purchase child pornography in 2024.

The retired professional wrestler, whose real name is Michael Droese, faces one count of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor.

The indictment was announced Monday in a press release by Chris Stanford, a state district attorney general.

“This charge became aggravated because Mr. Droese intended to purchase the child sexual assault material,” Stanford alleged in the release. “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 that produce it and sell across the world.”

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The press release alleged that Droese attempted to buy child pornography on the dark web by using a cryptocurrency account on April 21, 2024. Coinbase terminated the purchase and flagged it in the process.

After the FBI was alerted of the alleged attempted purchase by Droese, it notifiied the Warren County Sheriff’s Department. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation assisted the Sheriff’s Department, eventually bringing in Droese.

Droese surrendered after the grand jury indicted him and was booked at the Warren County Sheriff’s Department. He was released after posting $10,000 bond.

It was noted in the press release that Droese had been working with an adult recovery court program, which also is referred to as “Drug Court.”

He was a DUI coordinator there, while also working for the program in other roles.

Stanford said that Droese did not work with any children during his time with the program – but the former wrestler does reportedly have a history as a teacher.

According to a feature posted on WWE.com in 2009, Droese – who worked for the professional wrestling giant from 1994-96 – became an elementary school teacher for special education students after his leaving the company.

He was later forced to leave his job after selling oxycodone to an undercover officer in 2013.

Droese is due in court on May 28 for an arraignment hearing and, if convicted, he faces a possible sentence of two to four years in prison.