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A grand jury indicted the former mayor of College Park on 80 child pornography-related charges, the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office said Wednesday.
Patrick Wojahn, 47, who was arrested in early March, was indicted on 40 counts of possession of child pornography and 40 counts of possession with the intent to distribute, according to court records.
“This is an unprecedented case in our county in which a former elected official has been accused of a crime of this nature,” State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said in a statement.
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“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. It is important to note that the defendant is presumed innocent, and my office will continue to focus on achieving justice for the victims in this case,” Braveboy added.
An attorney listed in court records for Wojahn did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Wojahn was arrested earlier this month after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children flagged an account on the social media platform Kik in February, police said.
Forty videos and images depicting prepubescent children involved in sexual acts were uploaded to the site by an account with the screen name “skippy_md,” according to charging documents. Investigators traced an IP address associated with the Kik account to a Yahoo email address and phone number belonging to Wojahn, charging documents said.
The Yahoo email address is skippy_md@yahoo.com. Investigators then linked that address to Wojahn’s city email.
Police searched Wojahn’s home on Feb. 28 and recovered multiple cell phones, a storage device, a tablet and a computer.
Investigators found “files depicting child pornography” in a password protected folder on a Samsung cellphone.
During the search, Wojahn confirmed to police that the Kik account was his and admitted he was in possession of child pornography, according to charging documents.
He also told police that he “may have passed” videos and images to other people, prosecutors said.
Wojahn was denied bail on Mar. 6, after a District Court judge ruled he remained a danger to the community.
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Wojahn, who had served as mayor of the City of College Park since 2015 and on the City Council since 2007, submitted his letter of resignation.
“I have cooperated fully, and will continue to cooperate, with law enforcement,” Wojahn wrote. “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.”
The city’s Mayor Pro Tem Denise Mitchell has served as presiding officer since then. A special election to elect a new mayor is scheduled for May 6, the City of College Park announced.
cadence.quaranta@thebaltimorebanner.com
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Cadence Quaranta is a breaking news reporter with the Banner.
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