A 25-year-old Hohenwald man has been sent to federal prison for nearly a decade after authorities say he lured a 16-year-old girl out of her Spring Hill home, drove her across multiple states, and was finally tracked down by the FBI in Houston.
Drew Roden was sentenced on June 12 to 108 months in federal prison after prosecutors said he transported the teen from Tennessee to Kentucky and then to Texas for sexual activity. Officials say the case began in late 2022 and ended with Roden’s arrest by FBI agents in Houston in February 2023. Once he serves his time, he will be under federal supervision for another 10 years.
What prosecutors say happened
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, Roden pleaded guilty on July 28, 2025, to coercing and enticing a minor to travel in interstate commerce to engage in illegal sexual activity, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(a).
In that filing, federal prosecutors say Roden met the girl in December 2022, bought her a cellphone, urged her to leave her family’s Spring Hill home at night, then drove her first to Bowling Green, Kentucky, and later to Houston, Texas.
U.S. attorney: exploiters of kids are top priority
"Adults who exploit children for their own sexual gratification are among the most serious offenders," U.S. Attorney Braden H. Boucek said in the office’s statement. The U.S. Attorney's Office also noted that Roden repeatedly lied to the victim’s family and others about her whereabouts while she was missing.
How local investigators located the pair
The victim’s family reported her missing to Spring Hill police, who then brought in the FBI. Agents from the bureau’s Nashville and Houston field offices ultimately tracked Roden and the teen to Houston, where they were found, the local newsroom reported.
As reported by WSMV, Roden was arrested on February 2, 2023, roughly a week after the girl was last seen at her family’s home.
The federal law behind the case
The coercion and enticement charge under 18 U.S.C. § 2422 makes it a federal crime to persuade or induce someone to travel across state lines to engage in illegal sexual activity, with steeper penalties when the victim is a minor. The statute’s detailed language and sentencing ranges are set out in federal law and legal reference materials. The Legal Information Institute summarizes the statute, while federal initiatives highlight how U.S. attorney offices and the FBI coordinate on child exploitation cases.
Sentence, supervision and next steps
Roden received the 108-month sentence on June 12 and, according to local reporting, will be on supervised release for 10 years after he leaves prison. WSMV notes that the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case as part of broader federal efforts to combat child exploitation. The office’s release credits the Spring Hill Police Department and the FBI’s Nashville and Houston field offices as the investigating agencies.
