VANDALIA, IL — Fayette County State’s Attorney Josh Morrison has filed a motion to join the criminal cases of three Vandalia residents each charged with child pornography, noting the three cases are all intertwined. Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office conducted the investigation into the alleged child pornography ring operating in Fayette County, which resulted in the indictments of 45-year-old Ferrell Kissiar, 37-year-old Amber Wehrle, and her 37-year-old husband Andrew Wehrle.
Kissiar, a former assistant pastor for a Patoka church, was indicted by a state-wide grand jury on two Class X felony charges of reproducing child pornography depicting a victim under the age of 13, two Class 1 felony charges of reproducing child pornography, Class 2 felony possession child pornography of a victim under the age of 13, and Class 3 felony child pornography. The acts specified in the charges reportedly took place over a period of time extending from August 2020 to March 2021. He’s accused of arranging with Amber Wehrle to have a sexual act committed against a child and then later having a Facebook chat with that child.
She was indicted on two Class 2 felony charges of possessing child pornography of a victim under the age of 13, one Class 1 felony for soliciting a sex act by a person over 17 against a child between the ages of 13 and 17, two Class 3 felonies for possessing child pornography and one of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
Her husband, Andrew Wehrle was indicted on two Class X felony counts of dissemination of child pornography of a victim under the age of 13.
While the cases were charged separately earlier this year, Morrison has filed a motion to join the cases saying they’re all connected. Both Wehrle’s are next scheduled to appear in court on their charges September 13th, while Kissiar has hired a new attorney and is next scheduled to appear with his new counsel on September 3rd.
All three defendants have remained in the Fayette County Jail since their March arrests.
(above picture L to R: Kissiar–Baas Wehrle–Wehrle)