Maryland
‘Horrendous crimes:’ Former College Park mayor pleads guilty to 140 counts of child porn
Deal with prosecutors calls for 30-year jail sentence
Patrick Wojahn, the gay former mayor of College Park, Md., pleaded guilty in Prince George’s County Circuit Court on Wednesday, Aug. 2, to 140 counts of child pornography related charges as part of a plea agreement offered by prosecutors.
The agreement calls for Wojahn, 47, to be sentenced to 150 years in prison, with 120 years to be suspended, requiring that he serve 30 years.
Prince George’s County Assistant State’s Attorney Jessica Garth, the lead prosecutor in the case, announced the terms of the plea agreement during the Circuit Court hearing, which was listed as a plea hearing.
Garth told news reporters after the hearing that under Maryland’s sentencing rules Wojahan will be eligible to apply for release on parole after serving 25 percent of the 30-year sentence, which could result in his release after seven and a half years.
She said that under the plea agreement Wojahn will receive a mental health evaluation and treatment while in jail and upon being released; he must register as a Tier Two sex offender upon his release; and he will be prohibited upon release from holding a job or a volunteer position involving children. Garth said the plea agreement calls for Wojahn’s probation to last for five years.
As part of the plea agreement, Wojahn pleaded guilty to each of the 140 counts against him handed down in the second of two grand jury indictments. The 140 counts include 60 counts of distribution of child pornography, 40 counts of possession of child pornography, and 40 counts of possession of child pornography with intent to distribute it.
The first indictment against Wojahn came just under four weeks after Prince George’s County police announced on March 2 of this year that they had arrested him on 56 counts of possession and distribution of “child exploitive material.”
Shortly before his arrest and just after police raided his College Park house and confiscated multiple cell phones, a storage device, and a tablet and computer, Wojahn released a statement announcing he had resigned from his position as College Park mayor, for which he had served since 2015.
In his statement Wojahn also said he was cooperating with authorities in their investigation into the charges against him.
“I have cooperated fully, and will continue to cooperate fully,” he wrote. “I am stepping away to deal with my own mental health,” he said. “I ask that you continue to keep me and my family in your prayers.”
The initial police charging documents said Wojahn allegedly had uploaded and/or shared at least 56 videos or still images on the social media app Kik depicting explicit sexual acts between adult men and prepubescent boys, depicting prepubescent boys engaging in sex with each other, or engaging in masturbation.
The police charging documents did not include any evidence or allegations that Wojahn had any direct contact with the juveniles depicted in the pornographic videos or still images he possessed or distributed. And the charging documents also did not include allegations that he was distributing the video or still images of child porn by selling them for profit, only that he was allegedly sharing them with others through the Kik app.
The drama surrounding the Aug. 2 court hearing in which Wojahn pleaded guilty was heightened by an announcement by a court clerk that the hearing, scheduled for 1:30 p.m., would be delayed by at least 45 minutes or more because of a mix-up by jail officials who were supposed to transport Wojahn from the jail where he has been held since his arrest on March 2 to the courthouse, located in Upper Marlboro.
It wasn’t until 3:25 p.m. when a uniformed guard escorted Wojahn into the courtroom while the former mayor was handcuffed and wearing an orange prison jumpsuit.
During the Aug. 2 plea hearing, Judge Karen Mason, who is currently presiding over the case, asked Wojahn to rise from the defense table where he was seated beside his attorney, David Moyse, to answer a series of questions that the judge said must be answered to confirm that he has willingly and knowingly chosen to waive his right to a trial and to plead guilty to all charges.
As part of her questioning, Mason read each of the 140 indictment counts, including their allegations of possession or distribution of child pornography, asking Wojahn if he understands the impact of his guilty plea.
“Yes, your honor,” Wojahn replied repeatedly.
Assistant State’s Attorney Garth told reporters after the hearing that the 30-year sentence called for in the plea agreement is one of the most severe sentences handed down in a Prince George’s County court for a case like the one involving Wojahn.
Judge Mason scheduled a formal sentencing hearing in the Wojahn case for Nov. 20, 2023. Garth said the judge has indicated that she will accept the terms of the plea agreement, including the 30-year sentence with eligibility for parole at 7 and a half years.
Defense attorney Moyse said after the hearing that he prefers not to comment on the plea agreement or the status of the case at this time.
“This is a horrific case,” P.G. County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said in a statement released after the court hearing. “I am truly pleased that Mr. Wojahn has pled guilty and accepted responsibility for his actions and these horrendous crimes,” Braveboy said.
Maryland
FreeState Justice to lose more than $300K in federal funding
DOJ program funded full-time employees, services for 600 Marylanders this year
FreeState Justice on Monday said it will lose more than $300,000 in federal funding on July 1.
The organization in a press release said the funds from the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Program supported LGBTQ survivors of crime in Maryland. FreeState Justice notes this funding “makes up almost 25 percent of the legal aid organization’s overall budget, and 60 percent of its direct service budget.”
FreeState Justice began to receive funds from the program in 2018.
“FreeState Justice is the only organization providing trauma-informed, culturally relevant legal services to LGBTQ+ Marylanders,” said FreeState Justice Executive Director Phillip Westry. “This funding cut is devastating to our community and the clients we serve, and it undermines the promise of equal justice for all.”
Westry noted the funding supported “2.5 full-time employees on our team of seven.” FreeState Justice Legal Director Lauren Pruitt added upwards of 600 people have benefitted from programs this funding supported so far this fiscal year.
“With our help, our clients report escaping violence, gaining housing, accessing documents, and reclaiming their voice,” said Pruitt. “For years, these funds have helped us to support Marylanders who have survived crimes, including about 600 people so far this fiscal year. Our services empower survivors to define and achieve safety, stability, and justice in the ways that matter most to them.”
“We are calling on the community to step up for Maryland’s LGBTQ+ survivors so that we can continue these essential services,” added Westry. “More than ever, we’ll need their support to continue getting our life-saving resources to those who need them most.”
FreeState Justice notes the Trump-Vance administration has cut $50 million “in grants and funding that support organizations that serve victims of crimes.” Westry on Monday in an email to supporters asked for their support to help fill the funding gap.
Rockville hosted its 9th annual Pride celebration on Sunday.
Organizations and sponsors partnered with the city and its Human Rights Commission to bring the event to life in the Rockville Town Center Park at the Square.
“We want our community to know how safe and how protected they are and that we would support our community,” City Clerk Sara Taylor-Ferrell, who is director of council operations, said. “It’s a gathering for families and friendship; it’s just a good event for our community engagement.”
Taylor-Ferrell said the Rockville community feels safe and comfortable at the event, and she hopes the event will continue to grow bigger each year.
“I think this is going to be a great thing that we can say our legacy is with Pride,” she said.
The Rainbow Youth Alliance, the Episcopal Church of the Ascension, the Barker Adoption Foundation, Maryland Trans Unity, and other organizations gathered along the Square to spread awareness and celebrate the LGBTQ community.
Shane Henise, program director for the Rainbow Youth Alliance, an LGBTQ support group for teens from 13- to 18-years-old, said he wanted to come out and let people know that the organization is there for the younger LGBTQ community.
“I think this is a really hard time for queer and trans youth generally, and we want them to know they have a safe place to come,” he said.
Henise said Pride is more important this year than ever, especially with the “attacks” on gender-affirming care for youth.
“We want to counteract that immense amount of negativity and messages they’re receiving with positivity,” Henise said. “You are who you are. We love you, we support you.”
Speaking in front of a crowd of around 50 people, with hundreds walking around to stop and listen, Mayor Monique Ashton and other City Council members addressed the crowd and highlighted the importance of Pride.
Montgomery County Councilmember Evan Glass said Montgomery County always leads with its heart.
“We, the LGBTQ + community, are under threat and under attack by this president, by the Supreme Court, and while we have our challenges, there is no place I’d rather live than here in Montgomery County,” Glass said to the crowd. “We welcome our neighbors, we love them fairly and justly. We choose to love and we choose to be inclusive. That’s what pride is all about.”
With rainbow flags waving in the town square, attendees stopped by information tables, a clothing pop-up shop, face painting stations and a voter registration table.
Performers took to the stage in between speakers, such as local band the Nighthawks, members of the Rockville Musical Theater and a drag queen from drag story hour who read picture books to children in the crowd.
There was a sense of pride and family at the event, according to Cynethia Williams, the Montgomery County chair of Free Mom Hugs.
“There’s a sense of happiness and excitement about our future, even though it’s super scary right now in America,” Williams said. “It’s great to see that so many people are like, ‘They’re not going to take this stuff from us.’”
As a queer and Black woman, Williams said being at Rockville Pride was a revolution itself.
“I’m a revolter from birth, (from) being in this skin, so just being here is a revolt. It’s time for us to get together and fight,” she said. “Specifically for Free Mom Hugs, we want to make sure that our presence is known, that people know that we’re here and that … there’s a group of people that are ready to cheer them on, hug them, give them love.”
Maryland
Annapolis Pride postponed due to weather
Parade and festival will not happen as scheduled, other events to take place
The annual celebration of the Annapolis LGBTQ community has been put on hold due to forecasted severe weather.
The Annapolis Pride parade and festival, both of which were supposed to take place on May 31, have been postponed until a later date.
Annapolis Pride Board Chair Joe Toolan announced the decision this afternoon, citing information given to the Pride board from emergency management agencies and weather forecasting models.
“The safety of our community comes first,” Toolan said. “Based on guidance from the Annapolis Office of Emergency Management and the National Weather Service, we’ve made the difficult decision to postpone the 2025 Annapolis Pride Parade and Festival due to the very real threat of severe thunderstorms, lightning, and flooding.
“We are hoping to reschedule for some time this fall,” he added.
The National Weather Service has issued tornado and flood watches for large portions of the Mid-Atlantic area, more specifically in areas of Virginia, D.C., and Maryland — including Anne Arundel County where Annapolis is located.
The tornado watch only lasts until midnight, but the impacts of heavy downpours in the area can already be seen where the parade and festival were set to take place. The festival grounds at Bates Middle School are already experiencing flooding and over-saturation, and a flood watch remains in effect with more rain forecast for tonight and tomorrow.
“We are all sad and terribly disappointed that we cannot proceed with the parade and festival on Saturday,” Toolan said. “Hundreds of hours have been spent on planning and coordination, and we were expecting tens of thousands of attendees. But at the end of the day, safety concerns outweigh all other concerns.”
Toolan said the Pride board will announce a rescheduled date as soon as it is confirmed.
Even though the Annapolis Pride parade and festival have been postponed, there are a slew of other planned Pride events that will go on as scheduled:
May 30 – Ladies Night – SOLD OUT
6–10 p.m., Eastport Democratic Club, Annapolis
June 1 – Drag Brunch at Leo – SOLD OUT
10 a.m., Leo Annapolis Restaurant, 212 West St.
June 1 – Ecumenical Pride Worship Service
3 p.m., Eastport United Methodist Church, Annapolis
June 3 – Annapolis Pride Beer Launch
4–7 p.m., Forward Brewing, Annapolis
June 5 – Pride on the Pier
6–9 p.m., Bread and Butter Kitchen, Annapolis
June 6 – Big Gay Dance Party
10 p.m.–close, Tsunami Restaurant, 51 West St., Annapolis
June 7 – Pop-Up Market: Benefiting Annapolis Pride
10 a.m.–3 p.m., Annapolis Town Center
Special discounts @Kendra Scott 6/7–6/8
June 14 – Silent Disco
7–11 p.m., Eastport Democratic Club, Annapolis
June 21 – Teen Dance Party
6–9 p.m., Art Farm, Annapolis
For high school freshmen – juniors
*ticketed event
For more information on the postponement of Annapolis Pride, visit https://annapolispride.org/
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