WWE Child Porn Scandal: Star Duke 'The Dumpster' Droese Arrested After He Tried to Buy Material on The Dark Web, Prosecutors Allege
Droese was arrested after trying to buy child pornography.
May 7 2025, Published 11:43 a.m. ET
A former WWE wrestler who was also an elementary school teacher for students with learning disabilities has been arrested after he tried to buy child pornography, RadarOnline.com can report.
Michael Droese, who wrestled under the name Duke "The Dumpster" Droese, is facing one count of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor in Tennessee.
He was a member of the WWE in the mid 90s.
According to Chris Stanford, District Attorney General for the 31st Judicial District in the state, Droese, 56, allegedly attempted to buy child pornography from the dark web using his Coinbase account.
That transaction was flagged and terminated by the company, which then contacted FBI officials.
In a release, Stanford explained: "Attempted Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. Sexual Exploitation of a Minor is the name of Tennessee's law prohibiting child sexual assault material, in all its forms.
"This charge became aggravated because Mr. Droese intended to purchase the child sexual assault material."
'The Dumpster' handed 'Triple H' his first ever loss.
Purchasing child sexual assault material in Tennessee is an aggravated crime because, according to Stanford, "the money used to purchase the material is what continues to make child sexual assault material profitable for criminal enterprises produce it and sell it across the world."
However, he continued: "Because Mr. Droese was unsuccessful in securing the child sexual assault material he intended to purchase, the charge becomes a Criminal Attempt.
"Thus, the decision was made to charge one count of Attempted Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor - a Class D Felony in the State of Tennessee that carries a possible sentence of two to four years."
Stanford said Droese surrendered peacefully to the Warren County Sheriff's Department, where he was booked on the charges and released upon making bond.
He is due back in court at the end of this month.
His gimmick often involved a steel trash can he brought with him to the ring.
Droese butted heads in the WWE from 1994-1996. He faced off several times with Paul "Triple H" Levesque, now the company's Chief Content Officer.
The Dumpster actually dealt Triple H his first loss in the WWE.
He was known for bringing, and then using, a metal trash can to the ring during his matches.
According to his WWE bio: "From the garbage heaps of Mt. Trashmore, Florida, to the rings of WWE, the burly rubbish collector known as Duke "The Dumpster" Droese was one of the few Superstars who literally talked trash."
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After leaving WWE, Droese continued to compete off and on in smaller promotions throughout North America and Europe but eventually decided he wanted to pursue a different career.
"I realized I couldn't wrestle anymore, and I had to do something else," Droese previously told WWE.com. "I always wanted to teach kids, so I went back to school and got a master's degree and became a special education teacher."
Settling down in Tennessee, the man who once made a living from bashing men with trash cans became an elementary school teacher for students with learning disabilities.
"I work at a great school with a lot of great teachers," Droese said at the time. "Our school is one of the top-scoring in state test scores. I take a lot of pride in that."
