A Democratic former mayor pleaded guilty to 140 charges for child porn possession and distribution.
Patrick Wojahn—who served for nearly eight years as mayor of College Park, Md., before his arrest and resignation in March—pleaded guilty to 60 counts of distribution of child pornography, 40 counts of possession of child pornography with the intention to distribute, and 40 counts of possession of child pornography.
Wojahn, who listed his pronouns in his Twitter bio, said in his resignation letter that he was stepping down to address his "mental health."
The ex-mayor also has connections to the Biden administration. Wojahn in a 2019 interview called then-South Bend, Ind., mayor Pete Buttigieg (D.) his "buddy" and credited Buttigieg's "mentorship" for advancing his career, the New York Post reported. Wojahn has also posted pictures of himself and Buttigieg and said the two repeatedly spoke on the phone. Buttigieg is now President Joe Biden's transportation secretary.
"This is a horrific case," Prince George's County state's attorney Aisha Braveboy said. "I am truly pleased that Mr. Wojahn has pled guilty to and accepted responsibility for his actions and these horrendous crimes."
Wojahn is the latest Democrat to be caught with child pornography. Former Democratic New Hampshire state representative Stacie Laughton, who identifies as transgender, was arrested in June for child pornography charges. It was at least the fourth arrest for the Democrat, who was jailed in 2022 for stalking a woman. That arrest prompted Laughton's resignation from the legislature.
Former Biden campaign surrogate Jerry Harris last year received 12 years in prison for sexually assaulting a minor and soliciting sexual images from a child.
The last decade has seen a rise in child pornography, according to the Demand Project, a child-abuse prevention group.
"Nationally, there has been a 2,500 percent increase in arrests in the past 10 years," the group reported.