COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The former mayor of College Park convicted on a slew of child pornography charges in August was sentenced Monday to 150 years in prison with all but 30 suspended.
Patrick Wojahn, 47, pleaded guilty to 60 counts of distribution of child pornography, 40 counts of possession of child pornography, and 40 counts of possession of child pornography with the intent to distribute.
State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy called the sentence "fair" and important to show the public how seriously they take these cases.
In February, the Prince George’s County Police Department received notification from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that suspected child pornography had been distributed by someone in the county.
Subsequently, an investigation was launched which led investigators to Wojahn, who now stands convicted on a host of child pornography charges. He was indicted in March.
“This is a horrific case,” State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said in August. “I am truly pleased that Mr. Wojahn has pled guilty and accepted responsibility for his actions and these horrendous crimes. As a former elected official, the College Park community put its faith and support in him to serve each resident and their best interests. Instead, he let them down in a most disgraceful way. I want to extend a heartfelt thanks to our police department and national partners for their diligent work and relentless efforts in investigating and pursuing the leads that brought us to this point. Our children are both precious and vulnerable, deserving of the utmost protection. The tragedy of them being preyed upon in cases like this cannot be understated. I want families in Prince George’s County to rest assured, that we will continue to exhaust every possible effort to ensure their safety and well-being.”
Wojahn had been mayor of College Park since 2015 before being arrested. Wojahn resigned from his position as mayor in March just before his arrest. Prior to being mayor, he served on the city council.
In May, College Park held a special election to replace Wojahn as mayor. Dr. Fazlul Kabir was elected to the position.
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