Former Cheyenne Teacher Facing Up To 30 Years In Prison

A 56-year-old former Cheyenne elementary school teacher has been sentenced to 27-30 in prison after pleading guilty to sexual abuse of a minor.

According to a post on the Cheyenne Police Department Facebook page, Brian Wrhel was sentenced after "pleading to two counts of 2nd degree sexual abuse of a minor and one count of 3rd degree sexual abuse of a minor. He received 9-10 years in prison for each count, to be served consecutively."

Wrhel Was Arrested A year Ago

Wrhel had been a fifth-grade teacher at Meadowlark Elementary School in Cheyenne. On July 28 of 2025, he was arrested for for nine counts of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor and seven counts of third-degree sexual abuse of a minor.

He had nine counts of possession of child pornography added in September of last year after investigators said they found images of child sexual abuse on his cellphone

Wrhel reached a plea agreement with prosecutors to plead guilty to the three counts of child sexual abuse in return for a sentence of 18-21 years in prison. But the judge is not required to honor that agreement, and Judge Catherine Rodgers opted instead for the 27-30 year sentence. That sentence was handed down on Wednesday [July 1].