ILLINOIS STATE POLICE ARREST CHRISTIAN COUNTY MAN FOR POSSESSING CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MATERIALS
June 17, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EDINBURG – Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) special agents arrested 44-year-old William C. Wanless of Edinburg, IL for two counts of Possession of Child Pornography with the Intent to Disseminate (Class X Felony) and one count of Possession of Child Pornography with the Intent to Disseminate (Class 1 Felony).
On March 12, 2025, ISP special agents initiated a child sexual abuse material investigation. During the investigation, ISP special agents assigned to the Office of the Illinois Attorney General Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force gathered digital evidence indicating that Wanless possessed child sexual abuse material at his residence in Christian County.
On June 12, 2025, ISP special agents, the Edinburg Police Department, and the Office of Illinois Attorney General executed a search warrant at Wanless’s residence and took him into custody. The Christian County State’s Attorney’s Office filed the charges above. Wanless is being held at the Christian County Jail pending a detention hearing.
ISP provides resources for parents, for the public to report crimes against children, and survivors to start their path towards healing and recovery. Anonymous tips of child sexual abuse materials can also be reported through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's (NCMEC) cyber tip line at https://report.cybertip.org/. To keep kids safe online, learn more at https://www.onlinesafeonlinesmart.com/. Resources for survivors of sexual abuse can be found at https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/csam-resources.
The charges are not evidence against the defendant, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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