City Hall sign on brick building.
Patrick Wojahn—the now-former mayor of College Park, Maryland—was arrested on Thursday morning on 56 counts of child pornography (CP) charges.
According to WJLA, the Prince George’s County Police Department launched an investigation into the 47-year-old after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on Feb. 17.
The organization reportedly alerted authorities that a social media account operating out of the area was suspected of both possessing and distributing CP. Officials note that they eventually discovered that the account in question belonged to Patrick Wojahn, and they determined that the disturbing content was uploaded online back in January.
Eventually, a search was conducted on Wojahn’s home, and authorities recovered “multiple cell phones, a storage device, a tablet, and a computer,” Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz said during a press conference. After further investigation, Wojahn was arrested on March 2.
It’s noted that he’s currently in custody at the Price George’s County Department of Corrections. Additionally, of the 56 counts of CP against him, 40 are for possession while 16 are for distribution.
In response to the news about Patrick Wojahn’s arrest, the city’s communications department made a press release. However, rather than directly acknowledging the arrest, the statement simply read, “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.”
Additionally, it’s noted that “the City of College Park thanks Mayor Wojahn for his many years of dedicated service.”
Within his resignation letter, Wojahn proclaims that he has “cooperated fully, and will continue to cooperate, with law enforcement.” He also declares, “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.”
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