The Democratic former mayor of College Park, Maryland, has been indicted on 80 counts related to child pornography.
Patrick Wojahn, 47, faces 40 counts of possession of child pornography and 40 counts of possession with the intent to distribute, according to WJLA. The news outlet said court documents showed Wojahn uploaded the suspected child pornography to the social media website KIK under the account name “skippy_md” during the second week of January.
MARYLAND DEMOCRATIC MAYOR ARRESTED ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES
#NEW: A Prince George’s County Grand Jury has returned an indictment against Patrick Wojahn, age 47, for 40 counts of possession of child pornography and 40 counts of possession with the intent to distribute per @PGSAONEWS pic.twitter.com/CutOpzFaBK
— Tracee Wilkins (@TraceeWilkins) March 29, 2023
On Feb. 28, police searched Wojahn’s residence after they were notified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a social media account traced to Wojahn’s profiles was distributing child pornography. Investigators said they recovered “multiple cellphones, a storage device, a tablet, and a computer.”
The mayor resigned from office the next day, abruptly sending his resignation letter to the city council “after business hours,” mentioning the police search the previous day and saying that he had “cooperated fully” with authorities. He added, “It is in the best interests of our community that I step aside and not serve as a distraction.”
“I am stepping away to deal with my own mental health. I ask that you continue to keep me and my family in your prayers,” Wojahn said in his resignation letter.
The day after that, he was arrested on 40 counts of possession of child exploitative material and 16 counts of distribution of child exploitative material.
State attorney Aisha Braveboy spoke about the anomalous nature of Wojahn’s case.
“This is an unprecedented case in our county in which a former elected official has been accused of a crime of this nature,” Braveboy said, per WJLA. “We elect leaders with the expectation that they will serve, protect, and advocate for our children, families, and communities and not harm them in anyway. The charges contained in the indictment are serious, and we will continue to work with law enforcement to investigate and follow any new leads that may be uncovered.”
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College Park is home to more than 35,000 people and is about four miles northeast of Washington, D.C.
