Patrick Wojahn, 47, was arrested Thursday morning on 56 counts of possession and distribution of child porn. The arrest came after police ransacked his College Park home on Tuesday, seizing cell phones, a storage device, a tablet, and a computer.
Wojahn resigned Wednesday night as mayor of College Park, which includes the University of Maryland campus. His attorney said he is cooperating with law enforcement and Wojahn said in his resignation letter that he plans to “deal with my own mental health.”
The College Park city council will hold a special election to choose a new mayor. The mayor is elected to a two-year term and is not subject to recall.
The investigation began after authorities received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Maryland State Police and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force obtained a search warrant for Wojahn’s home based on evidence of child pornography.
Wojahn is a former member of the Prince George’s County Council and was elected mayor of College Park in 2017. He began his legal career as an assistant public defender in Washington, D.C. and worked in the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Wojahn is currently being held without bond and is expected to appear in court in the coming weeks. If convicted of all charges, he could face up to 120 years in prison.
The College Park City Council is calling for a special election to fill the mayor’s seat. The city is expected to announce the election date in the next few days.
