The re-arrest of a teacher who was out on bond in a case where he’s accused of sexually touching children stemmed from the discovery of more than 2,100 images of children, some as young as 4, being sexually abused, court documents allege.
The Cheyenne Police Department last week announced it had re-arrested fifth grade teacher Brian Wrhel, 55, while the man was out on bond in a case where he’s accused of sexually abusing girls by touching them sexually.
The new arrest, the police said in a statement, stemmed from the discovery of child sex abuse material (CSAM), which most laymen call child pornography, on Wrhel’s phone during the ongoing investigation.
An evidentiary affidavit filed Thursday in Cheyenne Circuit Court gives more detail about the alleged discovery.
CPD Detective Damon Hall wrote in the affidavit that he applied for and received a digital forensic examination search warrant for Wrhel’s phone on Sept. 4.
“The forensic download recovered approximately 2,102 images of child sexual abuse material,” wrote Hall, “eight CSAM video clips, and 5,372 internet web searches from the website where the images and video clips were obtained.”
The pictures and videos “were of children ranging from approximately four to sixteen years of age and appeared to originate from Europe,” wrote Hall.
Males and females alike were depicted “almost always completely nude” with their genitals exhibited “in a lascivious manner,” the detective added.
These were downloaded between December 2024 and July 2025, he wrote.
Wrhel was booked into the Laramie County Detention Center July 28 after investigators compiled evidence from the student-molestation case they’d been pursuing since May 20.
Wrhel was released from jail Aug. 8 on a $500,000 bond for which a surety company posted a portion, court documents say.
The New Charges
The child sex abuse material charges add another 90 years in prison, maximum, onto the up-to 285 years he already faced under the molestation case.
Those new charges are nine felony counts of child porn possession, each punishable by up to 10 years in prison and $10,000 in fines.
Wrhel has pleaded not guilty in the molestation case.
He’s set for a Sept. 29 preliminary hearing in the child porn allegations.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
