{"id":2105083,"date":"2023-11-21T15:42:02","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T20:42:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-dem-mayor-of-maryland-patrick-wojahn-sentenced-to-30-years-in-prison-for-child-porn\/"},"modified":"2023-11-21T15:43:50","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T20:43:50","slug":"former-dem-mayor-of-maryland-patrick-wojahn-sentenced-to-30-years-in-prison-for-child-porn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-dem-mayor-of-maryland-patrick-wojahn-sentenced-to-30-years-in-prison-for-child-porn\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Dem Mayor Of Maryland Patrick Wojahn Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison For Child Porn"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fformer-dem-mayor-of-maryland-patrick-wojahn-sentenced-to-30-years-in-prison-for-child-porn%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2105083&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"> Patrick \u2062Wojahn, 48. (Photo via: \u200dPrince George\u2019s County Police Department)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>OAN\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/tag\/brooke-mallory\">Brooke Mallory<\/a><br \/>12:40 PM \u2013 Tuesday, November 21, 2023<\/h2>\n<p>A former mayor of Maryland and\u2062 prominent LGBTQ+ activist who was \u2063found \u200bguilty earlier this year in a \u200c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-dem-mayor-of-maryland-patrick-wojahn-sentenced-to-30-years-in-prison-for-child-porn\/\" title=\"Former Dem Mayor Of Maryland Patrick Wojahn Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison For Child Porn\">horrific case involving child\u200d pornography<\/a> was given a 30-year prison\u2062 sentence on \u2062Monday.<\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-3\" style=\"min-width: 320px; min-height: 50px; text-align: center;\">  \t<script>  \t\tgoogletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-3'); });  \t<\/script>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"ad-slot__ad-label\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>As \u200bpart of \u2063an agreement with prosecutors, Patrick Wojahn, who resigned from his\u200c position as mayor of College Park, Maryland,\u200b on March 2<sup>nd<\/sup>, entered a guilty plea to 140 counts of child pornography.<\/p>\n<p>According to \u2063state\u200b law, he will \u200dbe up \u2064for \u200bparole in 7.5 years after receiving a sentence of 150 years overall, \u200dof which 30 years are suspended, as\u2062 reported by <em>The Washington Post<\/em>. <\/p>\n<p>Investigators connected his \u200cofficial email address to an account that\u200d had shared disturbing, illegal photos, which led to his imprisonment.<\/p>\n<p>The judge presiding over the case, Karen Mason, \u2064expressed sympathy for\u200d the former mayor\u2019s nauseating collection of \u2064media.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cI do sense the remorsefulness,\u201d said \u2063Mason \u2063on Monday during the hearing, when prosecutors read hours of victim statements. \u201cAnd I\u200c do know you take \u2064responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Investigators discovered that Wojahn\u2019s\u200b College Park government email address was specified \u2062as \u200cthe Kik account\u2019s recovery email by\u200b means \u200dof \u2062a \u2063subpoena. <\/p>\n<p>Authorities say that the ex-mayor hid \u2064his location\u2063 when logging into the account by \u2063using a virtual \u200dprivate network, and they\u200b have\u200d since linked Wojahn\u2019s \u2062phone\u200c number and\u2064 home IP address to it.<\/p>\n<p>There were even\u2063 more disturbing \u200dgraphic photos\u2064 that were found uploaded by the former mayor \u200don the social networking platform Telegram.<\/p>\n<p>According to court \u2063documents, Wojahn was charged with 80 counts \u200cof \u200bpossessing and intending to distribute child pornography in \u2064March \u2064by a grand jury. \u200d <\/p>\n<p>In \u200bMay, a supplemental indictment increased the number of charges to 140. In\u200b August, he entered a guilty plea to all 60 charges of child pornography distribution, 40 counts of child pornography possession, and 40\u200b counts of child pornography possession\u200c with \u200bthe intent to disseminate.<\/p>\n<p>In cooperation with the Justice Department\u2019s Internet Crimes Against Children Task \u2062Force\u200d Program and\u200b the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, \u200blaw enforcement identified 52 child victims, some of whom are now adults, among \u200bthe children featured in the hundreds of images\u200b and videos that Wojahn owned and shared.<\/p>\n<p>The victim impact \u200bstatements, which were read aloud in court, \u2063described their struggles with severe anxiety,\u200c paranoia, insomnia, trust issues, and a \u200csense of\u2063 safety.<\/p>\n<p>Several of \u200bthe victims also claimed that, after being revealed \u2064as\u2064 victims of online child exploitation, they\u2063 were stalked and had to move their current families and children\u200c away from their residences and preferred cities. <\/p>\n<p>Before deciding to \u200csend the former mayor to the treatment-focused maximum-security Patuxent Institution in Maryland, the judge highlighted Wojahn\u2019s own personal history as a victim of sexual abuse\u200c and\u2064 heard statements of \u2063support from sixteen witnesses who discussed Wojahn\u2019s \u201chistory of public service.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, he\u2063 apologized in front\u200d of the court.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cI know I contributed to that, and I\u2019m deeply, deeply sorry \u2026 I recognize the damage I have caused,\u201d Wojahn said.\u00a0\u201cI want to be the person \u2064they know me to be,\u201d he continued, before addressing \u2062his husband.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Former Georgetown University Law School graduate Wojahn, a\u2063 fervent supporter of LGBTQ+ \u2062rights, joined his now-husband \u200cin \u2063a 2006\u200c lawsuit against \u200cthe state of Maryland to establish marriage as a legal right for \u2062same-sex couples in the state. <\/p>\n<p>Wojahn served on the College Park\u200b City\u2064 Council \u2064for eight years\u2062 prior \u200bto becoming mayor in November 2015. Prior \u200cto his departure earlier this year,\u200c he held that position for seven years.<\/p>\n<p>Stay informed!\u200c Receive breaking news\u2063 blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/alerts\">https:\/\/www.oann.com\/alerts<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"rc-widget-10bad2\" data-rc-widget data-widget-host=\"habitat\" data-endpoint=\"\/\/trends.revcontent.com\" data-widget-id=\"278641\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"dpsp-share-text\" style=\"margin-bottom:10px\"> \t\t \t\tShare this post!\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>The US government has declared war on our 1st \u2062Amendment, and\u200d One America News is Washington\u2019s number one target. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Billions are being pumped\u2062 into \u200cBaltimore City\u2019s\u200d school system, but students\u2019 scores\u200b are still not improving. \u200dThere are 13 \u200chigh schools with zero students considered proficient in basic math.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>with Luke Ball<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>with\u200d Brigette Gabriel<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Social\u200b media company X CEO Linda Yaccarino\u2062 told employees that \u201cdata will tell the real story\u201d\u200c about its efforts to\u2063 battle antisemitism.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Microsoft\u2064 emerged on Monday as\u2063 the\u200d big \u2062winner of the upheaval at OpenAI, hiring ousted \u2063CEO Sam Altman\u200d and other key staff of the startup.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>OpenAI named ex-Twitch boss Emmett Shear as interim CEO, while \u2063outgoing chief Sam Altman \u2062is set to join backer Microsoft in a surprise turn of events for the startup.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>OpenAI\u2019s \u200bstaff has \u2064threatened to quit the AI startup and\u200c join former boss Sam Altman at Microsoft\u2019s new division unless the board resigns.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> rnrn  <\/p>\n<h2> How did Patrick\u2062 Wojahn go to great lengths \u2063to conceal \u200chis \u2062involvement in child pornography?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  And was elected as mayor in \u200c2015. During his tenure,\u2062 he was known \u2063for advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and pushing for inclusive policies in College Park.<\/p>\n<p>However,\u200d behind his public image as a\u2062 champion for equality, Wojahn had a dark secret. Investigators discovered that he was involved in\u200c a horrifying case of\u2064 child pornography. His official email address \u2063was linked to an account that shared\u200c illegal and disturbing photos. This discovery led to his arrest and subsequent guilty plea to 140 counts of child \u2064pornography.<\/p>\n<p>The\u200d sentencing hearing took place on \u200cMonday, where the judge, Karen Mason,\u200b expressed sympathy for the victims and their statements. Despite acknowledging Wojahn&#8217;s remorse, she handed down a 30-year\u200d prison sentence, with the possibility of parole in 7.5 years. However, it&#8217;s important to note that he was initially sentenced to 150 years overall, with\u200d 30 years suspended.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities found that Wojahn had gone to great lengths\u200b to hide his activities. He\u200b used a virtual private network to conceal his\u2064 location when logging into the account. Additionally, more disturbing photos were found\u2064 on a social networking platform that he frequented.<\/p>\n<p>The impact on the\u200b victims \u2063was devastating. The victim impact statements read in court detailed their struggles \u200bwith anxiety,\u200c paranoia, insomnia,\u200d and trust issues. Some even had to relocate their families \u2064to ensure their safety after being \u2064revealed as\u200c victims of online child exploitation.<\/p>\n<p>Before the sentencing, the\u2063 judge \u200dtook into account Wojahn&#8217;s personal history as a victim of sexual abuse, as well as statements of \u200csupport from\u200b sixteen witnesses who highlighted his history of public\u2064 service. Despite this, the gravity of his crimes outweighed any mitigating factors, and he \u200bwas ultimately sentenced to a lengthy \u2062prison term.<\/p>\n<p>In his apology\u2062 to the court, Wojahn acknowledged the damage he had caused and expressed his desire to change. He apologized not only to the victims but also to his husband, recognizing the impact of his actions on their relationship.<\/p>\n<p>The case of Patrick Wojahn serves as a stark reminder that no one is immune to the consequences of their actions, regardless of their public image or personal history. The justice system has spoken, and now the focus must turn to supporting the victims and\u200d working towards preventing such heinous crimes in the future. It is only\u200d through education, awareness, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ron-desantis-receives-major-endorsement-from-floridas-largest-police-union\/\" title=\"Florida's biggest police union endorses Ron DeSantis.\">strong law enforcement<\/a> that \u2064we can hope to protect our children and create a safer society for all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0Patrick Wojahn, 48. (Photo via: Prince George\u2019s County Police Department) OAN\u2019s\u00a0Brooke Mallory 12:40 PM \u2013 Tuesday, November 21, 2023 A former mayor of Maryland and prominent LGBTQ+ activist who was found guilty earlier this year in a horrific case involving child pornography was given a 30-year prison sentence on Monday. Advertisement As part of an<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1866,"featured_media":2105084,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[542],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2105083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-oann"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2105083","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1866"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2105083"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2105083\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2105084"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2105083"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2105083"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2105083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}