Andrew Wells

Following an investigation, which began last June, the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department arrested Harvard City Clerk Andrew Wells on three counts of possession of child pornography, each charge being a Class 3 felony, punishable by two to five years in prison.

Wells, 54, of Harvard, was taken into custody Sept. 19, and released after posting bond.

A tip from a county resident led to the investigation, and Wells was arrested in his office before being transported to the county jail in Woodstock. The images were discovered on an electronic device that he owned, according to a wire report attributed to the county sheriff’s office.

Harvard Mayor Jay Nolan, City Administrator David Nelson, and Police Chief Mark Krause were not available for comment, at press time. Phone calls to the Village Hall were being referred to the county sheriff’s department. Communications Manager Aimee Knop, of the department’s Special Services, was not available for comment.

The sheriff’s department has not issued a formal press release regarding the incident.

Wells was released Sept. 19, after posting 10 percent of the required $40,000 bond amount. He is scheduled to appear in court, at 9 a.m. Sept. 27.