Hohenwald Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison

According to media reports, a Hohenwald man has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison after kidnapping a 16-year-old Spring Hill girl he met on Snapchat and taking her to Texas in 2023.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, 25-year-old Drew Roden pleaded guilty on July 28, 2025, to coercion and enticement to travel in interstate commerce to engage in illegal sexual activity.

Court documents state Roden, who was 22 at the time, met the girl in December 2022. He later purchased a cell phone for her and encouraged her to leave her family’s home in Spring Hill at night to meet him.

Prosecutors said Roden drove the victim from Tennessee to Bowling Green, Kentucky, and ultimately to Houston, Texas, where he continued the illegal sexual relationship.

While the victim was missing, authorities said Roden repeatedly lied to the girl’s family, his own family, and concerned acquaintances about her whereabouts, despite being urged by multiple people to bring her home safely.

The girl’s family contacted the Spring Hill Police Department, which referred the case to the FBI. Agents located Roden in Houston, where he was arrested on February 2, 2023, about one week after the victim was last seen leaving her family’s home.

According to media reports, U.S. Attorney Braden H. Boucek said adults who exploit children for their own sexual gratification are among the most serious offenders and said the sentence reflects the federal government’s commitment to pursuing those who prey on children.