Documents: More than 2,100 child sexual abuse images found on Cheyenne teacher's phone
CHEYENNE — Police investigation uncovered 2,102 images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on a local elementary school teacher’s phone, according to court documents.
Police searched 55-year-old Brian Wrhel’s phone following his arrest on 16 felony counts of sexual abuse of minors related to a series of incidents at Meadowlark Elementary.
The forensic download recovered thousands of images and web searches between December 2024 and July 2025.
The material showed both male and female children from ages 4 to 16, almost always completely nude, and “exhibited the genitals and pubic areas of the children in a lascivious manner,” according to court documents.
Wrehl’s phone contained approximately 2,102 CSAM images, eight CSAM video clips and 5,372 web searches on the site from which the images and video clips originated, the court document said.
Wrhel pleaded not guilty to the child sex abuse charges on Aug. 8. He was out on a $500,000 cash surety bond, which was partially funded by a bond surety company, when he was arrested on nine counts of possession of child pornography on Sept. 16.
Each charge carries a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison and/or up to a $10,000 fine.
Wrhel’s preliminary hearing is set for Monday, Sept. 29, on the child pornography charges.
Sexual abuse
On May 20, after conducting an internal investigation regarding alleged instances of sexual abuse of minors, Meadowlark Elementary School’s principal called the Cheyenne Police Department to report Wrhel for sexual abuse of female students.
The 10- to 11-year-old girls described varying levels of sexual abuse occurring at school during class starting in August of 2024 and continuing until Wrhel was placed on administrative leave on May 16, according to court documents.
The abuse was observed by a special-needs para-educator, who initially just thought that Wrhel gave preferential treatment to his female students. On May 6, she observed an escalation in inappropriate touching and reported Wrhel to the school’s principal.
Wrhel had demonstrated preferential treatment toward the girls and was only ever observed inappropriately touching girls who were “noticeably skinnier than their heavier female classmates,” according to the paraeducator.
One victim said Wrhel told her, “If it makes you uncomfortable, tell me to stop,” but she had not told him to stop because she was scared of him. She told investigators that she believed telling him to stop would make him angry and “not like us,” according to the affidavit.
Another victim didn’t report the abuse to her mother, despite a classmate urging her to, because she said she was afraid of it getting out to the public, and Wrhel going to jail.
Additional witnesses and victims confirmed these instances of abuse, the affidavit said.
Wrhel was arrested on July 28 on 16 felony counts, including nine counts of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor and seven counts of third-degree sexual abuse of a minor.
Each charge of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor is punishable by up to 20 years of imprisonment and a $10,000 fine. Each third-degree charge of sexual abuse of a minor is punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Wrhel’s bond conditions prohibited him from having any contact with minors or the school, including faculty and staff and potential witnesses.
St. Louis Man Receives Life Without Parole Plus 52 Years for Child Sexual Abuse Offenses
By Felix Montoya
Published on September 27, 2025
In a decisive move by a St. Louis judge, 56-year-old Andre Elgin was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, tacking on an additional 52 years, for his sexual offenses against a child. The sentencing took place yesterday. As reported by the Circuit Attorney's office, Elgin was convicted in June of crimes that unfolded at his South St. Louis home.
During the period of January through May 2023, evidence revealed that Elgin, already a registered sex offender due to prior convictions for rape and sodomy of minors, repeatedly abused a young girl who visited his residence in the 5400 block of Alabama Avenue, according to statements from the Circuit Attorney's office. The presence of adults, aside from Elgin, was notably absent when these abuses occurred. A jury found Elgin guilty of first-degree sodomy, three counts of second-degree child molestation, and sexual misconduct involving a child under 15, designating him as a persistent sexual offender.
The gravity of Elgin's past combined with the new offenses resulted in a mandatory life sentence. Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore highlighted the message this sentencing is supposed to convey. "Every child deserves to grow up safe and free from harm," he said. "Today’s sentence sends a clear message that those who exploit and betray that trust will face the full measure of justice," according to the Circuit Attorney's news release.
Assistant Circuit Attorneys Carley Johansson and Homicide Unit Deputy Chief Carolyn Chkautovich prosecuted the case. In a statement from the Circuit Attorney’s Office, Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore emphasized the importance of protection and accountability.
Vegas man who accused his mom of sexual abuse is legally the father of his teenage brother, judge rules
A family court judge ruled Wednesday that a Las Vegas man caring for his teenage brother is now legally recognized as the boy’s father by default.
It remains unclear whether 26-year-old Logan Gifford, who accused his mother of sexual abuse and suspects the boy may actually be his biological son, is, in fact, the child's biological father.
“The DNA test conducted does not have a final determination as to one of the two,” Judge Vincent Ochoa said Wednesday during a hearing, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
“I can’t make (Theodore) the father if he doesn’t want to participate (in the case),” Ochoa added. “I’m going to grant the default and declare Logan Gifford to be the legal father of the child. This is the only solution we have. The DNA test was done and eliminated everyone except for two individuals, and only one of those individuals wants to participate in this case.”
Logan Gifford was still a teenager in 2015 when a judge sentenced his mother, Doreene Gifford, to eight to 20 years in prison and required her to register as a sex offender. Doreene Gifford entered an Alford plea to counts of attempted sexual assault and lewdness with a child under 14. Under an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but concedes that the prosecution has sufficient evidence to secure a conviction.
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