According to a press release issued by Chris Stanford, District Attorney General of Tennessee’s 31st Judicial District, the 55-year-old was indicted during the May session of the Warren County Grand Jury. The charge stems from an alleged attempt by Droese to purchase child sexual assault material on April 21, 2024, using his Coinbase account on the Dark Web.
Stanford explained that while the transaction was flagged and terminated before completion, the intent behind the purchase elevated the case to an aggravated charge. “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 stated.
The case was first tipped off by Coinbase to the FBI. That tip eventually reached the Warren County Sheriff’s Department on March 19, 2025, prompting the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to launch an inquiry. TBI Agent Kevin Starr quickly built the case, leading to the indictment.
Droese turned himself in after learning about the indictment and was released on a $10,000 bond. He’s scheduled to be arraigned on May 28, 2025. The charge—a Class D felony—carries a potential sentence of two to four years in prison.
At the time of his arrest, Droese was working as the DUI Coordinator for the 31st Judicial District’s Adult Recovery Court Program. He was immediately terminated from that role. Officials confirmed that his duties never involved working with children, and all court participants in the program are adults.
This isn’t Droese’s first brush with the law. In 2013, he was convicted of delivering controlled substances—oxycodone and buprenorphine—to an undercover informant while employed as a teacher. He served 30 days in jail as part of a three-year sentence and paid a $2,000 fine.
-Ringside News
Stanford explained that while the transaction was flagged and terminated before completion, the intent behind the purchase elevated the case to an aggravated charge. “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 stated.
The case was first tipped off by Coinbase to the FBI. That tip eventually reached the Warren County Sheriff’s Department on March 19, 2025, prompting the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to launch an inquiry. TBI Agent Kevin Starr quickly built the case, leading to the indictment.
Droese turned himself in after learning about the indictment and was released on a $10,000 bond. He’s scheduled to be arraigned on May 28, 2025. The charge—a Class D felony—carries a potential sentence of two to four years in prison.
At the time of his arrest, Droese was working as the DUI Coordinator for the 31st Judicial District’s Adult Recovery Court Program. He was immediately terminated from that role. Officials confirmed that his duties never involved working with children, and all court participants in the program are adults.
This isn’t Droese’s first brush with the law. In 2013, he was convicted of delivering controlled substances—oxycodone and buprenorphine—to an undercover informant while employed as a teacher. He served 30 days in jail as part of a three-year sentence and paid a $2,000 fine.
-Ringside News
