Maryland
Gay former College Park mayor sentenced to 30 years in child porn case
Family, friends testify at emotional sentencing hearing in P.G. County
A Prince George’s County Circuit Court judge on Monday, Nov. 20, sentenced gay former College Park Mayor Patrick Wojahn to 30 years of incarceration at an emotional three-and-a-half-hour long sentencing hearing that took place more than three months after Wojahn pleaded guilty to 140 counts of child pornography-related charges as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.
In agreeing to carry out the plea agreement, Judge Karen Mason sentenced Wojahn to 150 years in prison, with 120 years suspended, requiring that he serve 30 years.
The judge and prosecutors pointed out that under Maryland’s sentencing rules Wojahn 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.
The sentencing followed news that surfaced in March of this year, which shocked Wojahn’s friends and longtime political supporters, that he had been arrested after police raided his College Park home and confiscated multiple cell phones, a tablet, computer, and a storage device containing video and still images, leading to two indictments alleging possession and distribution of child pornography.
The 140 counts to which he pleaded guilty include 60 counts of distribution of child porn, 40 counts of possession of child porn, and 40 counts of possession of child pornography with intent to distribute it.
He announced his resignation as mayor, a position he held since 2015, shortly before his arrest.
Wojahn’s husband, mother, sister, and 13 friends testified at the sentencing hearing. Most told the judge they understood the seriousness of the charges against their loved one and friend but called on the judge to take into consideration the good that Wojahn has done as a family member, friend, and elected official over his lifetime. Several of the friends said mental health issues and an addiction problem had played a role in Wojahn’s actions and urged the judge to arrange for him to receive mental health related services.
Among those who testified were Sister Jeannine Gramick, a Roman Catholic nun who co-founded the LGBT Catholic support organization New Ways Ministry, and Francis DeBernardo, the current executive director of New Ways Ministry. Also testifying was Thomas Bower, an official with the LGBT Catholic organization Dignity Washington, of which Wojahn has been a participant.
Judge Mason said she would refer Wojahn, who has been held without bond since the time of his arrest in March of this year, to the Patuxent Institution, a maximum-security correctional facility located in Jessup, Md., that specializes in providing mental health services for its male and female inmates.
Mason also included in her sentencing a requirement that Wojahn serve five years of supervised probation upon his release from incarceration, register as a sex offender, and have no unsupervised contact with minors.
The testimony from family members and friends came after P.G. County Assistant State’s Attorneys Jessica Garth and Monica Meyers argued that those who possess and distribute child pornography are responsible for the suffering of victims of child sex abuse who are forced to take part in the production of child porn video and still images, even though, as in Wojahn’s case, the perpetrators do not produce the images and don’t directly come into contact with the children depicted in the images.
Police and prosecutors have alleged in charging documents that Wojahn had uploaded and/or shared dozens of 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.
In a development that surprised some attending the sentencing hearing, the two prosecutors disclosed that with the help of law enforcement officials and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, they identified 52 of the juveniles who were depicted in the video or still photo images that police had confiscated from Wojahn’s home. At a press conference following the sentencing hearing, prosecutor Meyers said the 52 then children who were identified, most of whom are now adults, were from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and several European countries, including Germany, Russia, Portugal, and the United Kingdom.
Through information obtained from law enforcement officials in the U.S. and internationally, the two P.G. County prosecutors said they obtained statements from or case reports for about 42 of the individuals listed as victims and presented those statements at the sentencing hearing by projecting them on two large screens in the courtroom. Meyers read each of the statements as they were projected, with most of the victims saying they suffered long-lasting harmful effects from being forced as children to take part in the production of pornographic images.
Meyers said while prosecutors presented victim impact statements for about 40 of the juveniles who were identified in the porn videos and still images, Wojahn had possession and helped to distribute images of “hundreds more on his devices” who were not identified.
In an effort to highlight the large numbers of sexually abused juveniles in the videos or still images in Wojahn’s possession, Meyers pointed to a photo that the prosecutors displayed on the large video screen in the courtroom during Monday’s sentencing hearing of a junior high school in College Park located near where Wojahn lived.
“That his own elementary school a half a mile from his house has less than 500 students who attended, he had more victims than that on his telephone,” Meyers said at the press conference. “And on his device, he had memorialized more than 500 victims who were sexually abused, raped, and tortured,” she said.
“These are not victimless crimes, even though the victim is separated from the person who’s abusing them by a computer screen,” Assistant State’s Attorney Garth said at the press conference. “They are real people. They experience real damage, psychological and physical damage,” she said. “And they have to live with what happened to them for the rest of their lives.”
P.G. County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy, who called the press conference, thanked the team of prosecutors and police investigators who worked on the Wojahn case.
“No child deserves to be sexually abused,” Braveboy said. “No child deserves their images to be displayed on the internet or any platform for hundreds of thousands and possibly millions of people to view,” she said. “And so, in accepting this plea agreement, we are satisfied that Mayor Wojahn understood the seriousness of his actions and wanted to take responsibility.”
Wojahn, who was dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit, was the last to speak at the hearing before Mason issued her sentence. Due to the fact that Wojahn and many of the others who spoke at the hearing were not using microphones, much of what was said could not be heard clearly.
“I want to give an apology,” he could be heard saying. “I don’t know what happened. I can’t explain what changed me,” he continued, weeping while speaking. “I want to apologize to all my friends. I apologize to my family,” he said. He then turned to look at his husband, Dave Kolesar, and expressed his love for his husband. Both were crying as Wojahn spoke.
“I hope what I went through will help others who need help, get help,” he said. “I do hope I will be able to recover fully myself. I hope others will know recovery is possible.”
Wojahn’s attorney, David Moyse, pointed out that Wojahn had cooperated fully with the investigation into his actions as soon as P.G. County police entered his house with a search warrant in March. Much of what Moyse said couldn’t be heard due to the faulty sound system in the courtroom, but he urged the judge to take into consideration all the positive aspects of Wojahn’s life.
Maryland
Queer candidates, allies on the ballot in Md. primary
Evan Glass running to become Montgomery County Executive
Maryland voters will see LGBTQ candidates on ballots across the state when they head to the polls for the June 23 primary election.
Evan Glass, an at-large member of the Montgomery County Council, is the current frontrunner in the Montgomery County Executive race.
He made history in 2018 as the first openly gay Jewish man on the County Council. Glass is currently nearing the end of his second term as a councilmember.
During his time on the council, he passed the ICE Out Act and the Pay Equity Act. He has also been outspoken about his disapproval of AI data centers and is endorsed by the Sierra Club.
“Our community is under attack and we need local leaders who will continue fighting back against Donald Trump while embracing our beautiful diversity,” Glass said in a statement to the Washington Blade.
Josie Caballero, who is running for an at-large seat on the Montgomery County Council, would become the first transgender woman elected to office in Maryland if successful.
Alleria Stanley, who is running for the House of Delegates in District 4, could also make history. Stanley, a U.S. Army combat veteran who served in Afghanistan, would become the first trans person elected to the Maryland General Assembly if successful. She currently serves as vice president of the Transgender American Veterans Association.
Several congressional races are also drawing attention ahead of the primary.
In Maryland’s 6th Congressional District, former Congressman David Trone is challenging U.S. Rep. April McClain Delaney. Trone has previously supported LGBTQ rights legislation, including the Equality Act, during his time in Congress.
Meanwhile, voters in Maryland’s 5th Congressional District will help determine who succeeds retiring U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer. State Del. Adrian Boafo (D-Prince George’s County), former Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker, former U.S. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, and Quincy Bareebe are among the Democrats running for Hoyer’s seat.
During his congressional career, Hoyer supported LGBTQ rights legislation and opposed the Trump-Vance administration’s trans military ban.
His daughter, Stefany Hoyer Hemmer, in 2012 came out as a lesbian in an exclusive interview with the Blade. Maryland voters the same year approved the state’s marriage equality law in a referendum.
“I’m pleased that Stefany is adding her voice to those across Maryland and the country calling for marriage equality,” Steny Hoyer told the Blade, referring to his daughter’s decision to come out and to champion the marriage equality law. “This is about ensuring all families receive equal treatment under the law. As more people speak out, the more momentum this effort gains to give every family the dignity and respect they deserve.”
Gay, lesbian incumbents running for re-election
A number of openly gay and lesbian members of the Maryland General Assembly are seeking re-election this year.
State Del. Joe Vogel, who represents Montgomery County’s District 17, is seeking another term in office. Vogel made national headlines during his 2024 congressional campaign and has received support from LGBTQ advocacy organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign.
State Del. Gabriel Acevero, who represents District 39 in Montgomery County, is also seeking re-election. When he was first elected in 2018, Acevero became the first openly gay Afro-Latino elected to the General Assembly.
State Del. Anne Kaiser (D-Montgomery County), who represents District 14, is running for another term. Kaiser, who is a lesbian, was recently appointed vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee and has served in the legislature since 2003.
State Del. Kris Fair is seeking re-election in District 3 in Frederick County. Fair has been active in civil rights advocacy and has worked with organizations including Marylanders for Marriage Equality, the campaign in support of the state’s marriage equality law.
State Del. Ashanti Martinez (D-Prince George’s County), who represents District 22, is also running for re-election. Martinez has focused on issues including affordable housing, healthcare access, and support for small businesses during his time in office.
State Sen. Mary Washington (D-Baltimore County) is seeking another term for District 43. When she was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2010, Washington became Maryland’s first openly LGBTQ African American elected official.
State Del. Luke Clippinger (D-Baltimore City) is also running for re-election for Legislative District 46. Clippinger has served in the House of Delegates since 2010 and has supported legislation including marriage equality and efforts to ban the use of LGBTQ panic defenses.
Byron MacFarlane seeking re-election in Howard County
Several other LGBTQ candidates are running for local and state offices across Maryland.
Jamar Day is running for an at-large seat on the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners. According to the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, Day identifies as pansexual and would become the first openly gay member of the board if elected. He previously worked as a teacher and dean of students in Baltimore and Washington.
Jamie McGonnigal is running for the Prince George’s County Board of Education representing District 3. McGonnigal currently serves as president of the Hyattsville Elementary School PTA and founded the advocacy organization TalkAboutEquality.org.
Matt Menter is seeking election to represent District 41 in the House of Delegates. Menter has worked on issues related to homelessness and addiction recovery and has served on Baltimore City’s LGBTQ Commission.
Joe Toolan is running for Anne Arundel County Council’s District 6 seat. Toolan previously served as the first chair of the Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs and currently works with the environmental advocacy organization GreenLatinos.
Spencer Dixon is seeking a seat in the House of Delegates representing District 32 in Anne Arundel County. Dixon currently serves on the Maryland Prescription Drug Affordability Board and has worked on Democratic political campaigns in Maryland.
Byron Macfarlane is running for re-election as Howard County’s register of wills. When he was first elected in 2010, Macfarlane became the first openly gay person elected in Howard County.
Maryland
‘Girlfriends’ wanted for murder in Silver Spring, Md.
Montgomery County police say two charged with killing mother of one of them
The Montgomery County, Md., Department of Police announced on June 4 that it is seeking the public’s help in locating two women, who they identify as a couple, who are charged with first-degree murder for allegedly killing the mother of one of them.
In a statement police identified the two women as Vanessa Tjongarero-Henderson of Clarksburg, Md., and her girlfriend Samantha Raebel of Phoenix, Ariz. The statement says the two are charged with the murder of Hilde Henderson, 67, the mother of Vanessa.
According to the statement, officers with the department’s 3rd District found Hilde Henderson deceased on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at her home at the Charter House apartments in the 1300 block of Fenwick Lane in Silver Spring after being called to check on the resident’s welfare.
“Henderson was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, where an autopsy was conducted,” the statement says. “The cause of death was ruled a homicide.”
It adds, “Through the course of the investigation, detectives identified Henderson’s daughter, Vanessa Tjongarero-Henderson and Vanessa’s girlfriend, Raeble, as the suspects.” It says detectives obtained an arrest warrant against the two women, charging both with first-degree murder.
“Anyone with information regarding the location of these suspects or this crime is asked to call 911 or to visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County, Md. website at crimesolversmcmd.org,” the statement says, or to call the tip line at 1-866-411-8477.
“Tips with information leading to an arrest may be eligible for a reward from $250 up to $10,000,” it says, adding that tips may remain anonymous.
A spokesperson for Montgomery County police didn’t immediately respond to a request from the Washington Blade for information not disclosed in the police statement, including the physical-medical cause of death for Hilde Henderson and whether detectives have determined a motive for the murder.
Maryland
Baltimore Heritage wants Md. LGBTQ historical sites added to National Registry
Mary Elizabeth Garrett’s Mount Vernon home among historical sites
Baltimore Heritage is continuing its mission to preserve Maryland’s LGBTQ history.
The group, using documentation, is attempting to get statewide LGBTQ historical sites listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Kentucky was the first state to make this effort, using a similar study to Maryland, which outlined a comprehensive list of LGBTQ heritage sites.
Baltimore Heritage, a local non-profit, 15 years ago began its efforts to promote LGBTQ heritage within the local community, mainly with walking tours to sites important to LGBTQ history. Preservation Maryland in 2018 received a grant, and Susan Ferentinos spent two years compiling a comprehensive list of LGBTQ historical sites, later published in 2022.
Suffragist Mary Elizabeth Garrett’s Mount Vernon home is one of the examples of the LGBTQ historical sites.
Although Garrett never labeled herself, she was involved in same-sex relationships, was a leader in the feminist movement, and played a large role in advancing education for women.
Although the effort has been ongoing, Baltimore Heritage Executive Director Johns Hopkins explained that Baltimore Heritage and its partners’ goal is to add Maryland to the public conversation on LGBTQ history.
“Bringing a little bit of a spotlight to some of the sites that are important, locally and nationally, would be meeting a goal of trying to have a broader, more in-depth public discussion around LGBTQ history, so we all know where we’re coming from,” said Hopkins.
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