56 Counts of Possession and Distribution of Child Pornography: Mayor arrested

The mayor of College Park, Md., has recently resigned from his position on Wednesday. He was arrested on the charge of child pornography last Thursday. The Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) said that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children had notified it that there is a social media account from the county of possessing and distributing suspected child pornography. The PGPD investigators have even said that the social media account did belong to Mayor Patrick Wojahn. The officials opted for a search warrant in Wojahn’s residence in the past month. There, they recovered a PC, a tablet, a storage device, and a tablet. Patrick Wojahn has been the city’s mayor since 2015 and in the city council’s position since 2007.

Wojahn’s statement regarding the investigation

Police say that Wojahn uploaded the elicit material in January, causing the investigators to obtain a search warrant for his home. Wojahn resigned last night during business hours, per the statement issued by the City of College Park. A special election was then held within the next 65 days. Mayor Pro Tem Denise Mitchell has consequently filled the position. The former mayor said that he would continue to cooperate with law enforcement. He wrote, “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.” He even said, “Many of you have already reached out with well wishes and thoughts, and I am eternally grateful. I am stepping away to deal with my mental health. I ask that you keep my family and me in your prayers.”

Chief Malik Aziz’s statement: during the investigation

PGPD Police Chief Malik Aziz and a State’s Attorney’s Office representative held a press conference on Thursday. This further demonstrated that he is still on an “open and active investigation.” Aziz said, “We send a clear message to anyone involved in this type of material that units like this are looking; they’re working every day to ensure that we have a safe county and a safe state.” After the investigation, Wojahn was arrested on 40 counts of possession of exploitative child material and 16 counts of distribution of exploitative child material.
Resources:
https://people.com/crime/maryland-mayor-resigns-after-child-pornography-arrest/