Maryland Democrat Mayor Charged With Over 50 Counts of Alleged Child Pornography

The mayor of College Park, Maryland was arrested on over 50 counts of alleged child pornography.

Patrick Wojahn, 47, faces 40 counts of possession of child exploitative material and 16 counts of distribution of child exploitative material.

Authorities said Wojahn resigned from his post.

“I am stepping away to deal with my own mental health,” Wojahn stated in his resignation letter.

Prince George’s County Police Department issued this statement:

The Prince George’s County Police Department’s Child and Vulnerable Adult Abuse – Internet Crimes Against Child Unit arrested a College Park man this morning for possession and distribution of child pornography. The suspect is 47-year-old Patrick Wojahn.

On February 17, 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children notified the PGPD that a social media account operating in the county possessed and distributed suspected child pornography. The image and videos had been uploaded to the social media account in January of 2023. Through various investigative techniques, PGPD investigators discovered the social media account belonged to Wojahn.

On February 28, 2023, PGPD detectives served a search warrant at Wojahn’s College Park home. Investigators recovered multiple cell phones, a storage device, a tablet and a computer. Following additional investigation, PGPD obtained criminal charges against Wojahn and investigators took him into custody early this morning.

Wojahn is charged with 40 counts of possession of child exploitative material and 16 counts of distribution of child exploitative material. He is in the custody of the Department of Corrections.

This remains an open and active investigation.

Detectives arrested and charged 47-year-old Patrick Wojahn with 56 counts of possession & distribution of child pornography. https://t.co/Dn9H1kzkh9 pic.twitter.com/TlspmoUmyl

— PGPDNEWS (@PGPDNews) March 2, 2023

Wojahn had served as College Park mayor since 2015.

He was College Park’s first openly gay mayor.

47-year-old Patrick Lewis Wojahn, a regular White House guest and the first openly gay man to take mayoral office in College Park, is charged with 40 counts of possession of child sexual exploitative material and 16 felony counts of distribution of child pornography. pic.twitter.com/parxZU2FWu

— Mia Cathell (@MiaCathell) March 2, 2023

The City of College Park issued this statement on Wojahn’s resignation:

College Park, MD, March 2, 2023 – Last night, after business hours, Mayor Patrick L. Wojahn submitted his letter of resignation as Mayor of the City of College Park, effective immediately on March 2. Mayor Wojahn has served in this position since 2015 and on Council since 2007.  The City of College Park thanks Mayor Wojahn for his many years of dedicated service.

Effective immediately, Mayor Pro Tem Denise Mitchell will serve as presiding officer until a Special Election is held and a new Mayor has been sworn in.  Per the City Charter, a Special Election must be held within 65 days. The City’s Board of Election Supervisors will convene to schedule the date of the Special Election.

NBC News reported:

In his resignation letter, also posted on the city’s website, Wojahn wrote it has been a “profound honor and privilege” to serve the city.

“While this investigation does not involve any official city business of any kind, it is in the best interests of our community that I step aside and not serve as a distraction,” he said. “Many of you have already reached out with well wishes and thoughts, and I am eternally grateful. 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.”

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Wojahn could not be immediately reached for comment Thursday. It was unclear if he was in jail.

The Democratic mayor of College Park, MD, was arrested Thursday for possession & distribution of child pornography.

Patrick Wojahn faces "40 counts of possession of child exploitative material and 16 counts of distribution of child exploitative material."https://t.co/g5DgWKFM4B

— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) March 2, 2023

The Washington Free Beacon noted:

The mayor, who lists his pronouns in his Twitter bio, resigned after police obtained a warrant to search his home. In his resignation letter, Wojahn, who has served as mayor since 2015, said he is stepping down to address his “mental health.”

On February 17, police received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about a suspicious account on the social media app Kik. The NCMEC flagged posts from the account “skippy_md” which depicted “explicit sexual acts involving prepubescent boys and adult men,” the Washington Post reported. Wojahn cooperated with police and confirmed that he owned the account.

Wojahn is just the latest Democrat to be charged with child sex crimes. Last year, former Biden campaign surrogate Jerry Harris was sentenced to 12 years in prison for sexually assaulting a minor and soliciting sexual images from a child.