The disturbing news of College Park, Maryland Mayor Patrick Wojahn‘s recent arrest has sent shockwaves across the country. Wojahn, who was once proud of his mentorship relationship with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, has been arrested on 56 charges related to child pornography. This comes as a major blow to the LGBTQ+ community, as Wojahn was a vocal advocate for their rights.
In a 2019 interview with the Washington Blade, an LGBT outlet, Wojahn spoke about his friendship with Buttigieg. He said that Buttigieg was his buddy when he attended the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Winter Meeting in D.C. in January 2015. Wojahn also said that his status in the conference of mayors was boosted “in part due to his mentorship.”
However, Wojahn’s arrest has revealed a dark side of the former mayor. On Feb. 17, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children notified the Prince George’s County Police Department that a social media account within Prince George’s County was suspected of possessing and distributing child pornography. Upon investigation, officers learned that the account belonged to Wojahn.
The police department released a statement that Wojahn had been charged with 40 counts of possession of child exploitative material and 16 counts of distribution of child exploitative material. The police recovered several cell phones and technology devices from Wojahn’s home after executing a search warrant. Wojahn was arrested on Thursday, and he has since resigned as mayor.
The City of College Park released a statement confirming the resignation and thanked Wojahn for his many years of dedicated service. Wojahn’s letter of resignation said, “It has been a profound honor and privilege to serve the City of College Park since 2007 as a City Councilmember and your Mayor. However, effective immediately, I must resign my position.”
Wojahn also mentioned in his letter that a search warrant was executed on his residence on Feb. 28, 2023, as part of an ongoing police investigation. He has cooperated fully with law enforcement and said that he would continue to do so. Wojahn further added that he was stepping away to deal with his mental health issues and asked for everyone’s prayers.
The news of Wojahn’s arrest has left the residents of College Park in shock. One resident, Drake Allen, said that he wanted the next mayor to be “just a regular mayor who does his job.” However, Michael Weaver, another resident, called the news “kind of embarrassing. It’s terrible.”
Meanwhile, Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz has said that his department wants to “send a clear message to anyone involved in this type of material that units like this are looking, they’re working every day to make sure that we have a safe county and a safe state.” The incident highlights the importance of stringent laws and regulations to curb the growing problem of child pornography and exploitation.
The arrest of College Park’s former mayor on charges related to child pornography is a shocking reminder of the need for stricter laws and regulations to prevent such heinous crimes. This incident should serve as a wake-up call for the government to take decisive action against such offenses to ensure a safe and secure future for the country’s children.
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Sources: WesternJournal, Washington Blade, WJLA-TV
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