Patrick Wojahn, the mayor of College Park, Maryland, resigned from office and was arrested on child pornography charges on Thursday.
Wojahn, 47, was arrested on 40 counts of possession of child exploitative material and 16 counts of distribution of child exploitative material and is being held at the Department of Corrections, per Prince George’s County Police.
IDAHO STUDENT MURDERS: KNIFE AMONG OTHER ITEMS SEIZED FROM BRYAN KOHBERGER'S HOME
Detectives arrested and charged 47-year-old Patrick Wojahn with 56 counts of possession & distribution of child pornography. https://t.co/Dn9H1kzkh9 pic.twitter.com/TlspmoUmyl
— PGPDNEWS (@PGPDNews) March 2, 2023
Police said they were notified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a social media account was distributing child pornography, which had been uploaded in January 2023. Authorities said they tracked the accounts back to Wojahn and that they executed a search on his residence on Tuesday.
Investigators recovered "multiple cell phones, a storage device, a tablet and a computer" during the Tuesday search and arrested Wojahn early Thursday.
The mayor abruptly sent his resignation letter to the city council "after business hours" Wednesday, mentioning the Tuesday police search by saying that he had "cooperated fully" with authorities. He added, "It is in the best interests of our community that I step aside and not serve as a distraction."
"I am stepping away to deal with my own mental health. I ask that you continue to keep me and my family in your prayers," Wojahn said in the resignation letter.
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He had served as mayor since 2015 and had been on the College Park City Council since 2007. The city thanked Wojahn "for his many years of dedicated service" in a statement.
The city also said Mayor Pro Tem Denise Mitchell would serve as the presiding officer for the city council until a new mayor is elected via a special election. The next general election for mayor is scheduled for Nov. 5, 2023.