A former Maryland mayor and well-known LGBTQ activist, Patrick Wojahn, was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Monday after being convicted in a heinous child pornography case earlier this year. Wojahn, who resigned as mayor of College Park, Maryland, on March 2 before his arrest, pleaded guilty to 140 charges related to child pornography as part of a deal struck with prosecutors. The Washington Post reported that he was sentenced to a total of 150 years, with all but 30 years suspended. However, he will still be eligible for parole in 7.5 years under state law.
During an emotional hearing, prosecutors read hours of victim impact statements, and Prince George’s County Circuit Court Judge Karen Mason acknowledged Wojahn’s remorsefulness and his willingness to take responsibility for his actions. Authorities revealed that Wojahn had uploaded and shared numerous explicit photos and videos depicting child sex abuse on social media apps in January. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children alerted the Prince George’s County Police Department about the illegal activities in mid-February.
The police investigation linked Wojahn’s government email address to an account sharing illicit images. The screen name “skippy_md” was found to belong to Wojahn, and investigators discovered that his College Park government email address was listed as the recovery email for the Kik account. Furthermore, Wojahn’s phone number and home IP address were linked to the account. It was also revealed that the ex-mayor used a virtual private network to mask his location when accessing the account. More explicit images were discovered on the social media app Telegram.
Court records showed that Wojahn was indicted on 80 counts of possessing and intent to distribute child pornography in March. The charges were later amplified to 140 counts in May. In August, Wojahn pleaded guilty to all charges, including distribution of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and possessing child pornography with the intent to distribute. Law enforcement identified 52 child victims among the hundreds of photos and videos possessed and shared by Wojahn.
During sentencing, Judge Mason took into account Wojahn’s own history as a victim of sexual abuse and heard declarations of support from 16 individuals in the courtroom. Wojahn was then referred to the Patuxent Institution, a treatment-oriented maximum-security prison in Maryland. In his address to the courtroom, Wojahn expressed his remorse and apologized for his actions. He also expressed his desire to be the person the community knows him to be and professed his love for his husband.
Wojahn, a graduate of Georgetown University Law School, had been a staunch LGBTQ advocate and served on the College Park City Council for eight years before being elected mayor in 2015. He held the position for seven years until his resignation in 2021.
This article highlights the severe consequences faced by a former mayor and LGBTQ activist, Patrick Wojahn, who was convicted of numerous charges related to child pornography. Wojahn’s sentencing to 30 years in prison serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting vulnerable children from exploitation. The case also raises questions about the use of social media platforms for the distribution of illegal content and the need for stricter measures to combat such crimes.
