The former mayor of a D.C. suburb was sentenced Monday to 30 years in prison for child pornography.
Former Democratic College Park Mayor Patrick Wojahn pleaded guilty to 140 counts total, including 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, according to WUSA 9. All but 30 years of his initial 150-year sentence were suspended, the outlet reported.
“This is a horrific case,” State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said. “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.”
Braveboy called the sentence “fair,” noting the importance of showing the public the seriousness of Wojahn’s behavior, the outlet reported.
An investigation began in February when the Prince George County Police Department was notified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that someone in the county was distributing child pornography, according to the outlet. Wojahn was identified as the suspect and subsequently indicted in March, WUSA 9 noted.
“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,” Braveboy said. “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.” (RELATED: FBI Investigation Of Alleged Child Predator Was ‘Halted’ To Hunt Down January 6 Rioters, Courts Docs Show)
Wojahn was mayor of College Park from 2015 until he resigned after his arrest, the outlet reported. Dr. Fazlul Kabir was elected mayor to replace Wajahn in a special election held in May.