A Rochelle man was arrested Tuesday afternoon on a warrant issued Feb. 17 for nine charges filed that day alleging he sexually assaulted, abused and exploited children.

Edward R. Wilhite, 35, is charged in Lee County with two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, a Class X felony; two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a Class 2 felony; one count of sexual relations within families, a Class 3 felony; two counts of sexual exploitation of a child, a Class 4 felony; and two counts of distributing harmful material to a minor, a Class A misdemeanor.

The predatory criminal sexual assault of a child charges carry possible prison sentences of 6 to 60 years and a conviction would require 85% of the sentence to be served before he’d be eligible for parole.

Those same charges were filed against Chelsea A. Morrison, 32, of Rock Falls on Feb. 27; she’s pleaded not guilty.

[ Rock Falls woman accused of child sexual abuse granted conditional release ]

The crimes that Wilhite and Morrison are alleged to have committed together took place between Jan. 1, 2021, and April 18, 2023, and involved two children, one as young as 3, court records show.

On Wednesday, Wilhite appeared before Lee County Circuit Judge Jacquelyn D. Ackert, who ordered for his continued detention as his case proceeds toward trial.

His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. April 29, with Ackert.

A preliminary hearing is an early court proceeding where a judge determines if there is enough evidence to reasonably believe that a crime was committed by the defendant based on attorney arguments and, sometimes, witness testimony. Defendants have the right to waive this process.

On April 9, Ackert granted Morrison pretrial release under conditions including home detention and electronic monitoring.