Former College Park, Maryland, mayor Patrick Wojahn has been sentenced to three decades in prison for charges associated with the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse images. The 47-year-old pleaded guilty on August 2 to a total of 140 counts related to the material investigators found on his devices.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Wojahn will serve 30 years in prison. The deal called for a sentence of 150 years with 120 years suspended. According to Maryland law, he will be eligible for parole after serving 7 and 1/2 years of his sentence.

State's Attorney Aisha Braveboy emphasized the significance of the sentencing, stating, "This sentence is instructive. It instructs us that child pornography is not simply about images, it's about the pain behind the images, the tragedies that have occurred in these young people's lives, that should never have happened to them."

Prosecutors explained that the length of Wojahn's sentence is reflective of the fact that he contributed to the re-victimization of children, some of whom were exploited as many as 20 years ago. Monica Myers, the assistant state attorney in Prince George's County, emphasized that for some of the victims, the knowledge that their images would forever remain on the internet was akin to a death sentence.

During the hearing, Myers read dozens of statements from victims and their parents that described the abuse depicted in the photos and videos. Some of the victims were very young children, including infants, and some were bound or injured during the abuse. Myers aimed to convey that behind every image Wojahn possessed, there was a tragic story.

One victim, who spoke through a video recording, shared that she was stalked and harassed online for several years after the abuse, eventually leading her to move. Myers revealed that more than 500 victims from across the world were identified on Wojahn's phone. Of these, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children was able to identify 52 children in the videos, while the identities of hundreds of others remain unknown.

Forty character letters were submitted in support of Wojahn, with around 15 people speaking on his behalf during the hearing. However, Myers defended the severity of the prison sentence, asserting that the prosecution did not deem it appropriate to decide which victims' cases were more important.

Wojahn apologized to the victims at the hearing, expressing remorse for the damage he caused. The investigation into Wojahn began after a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children alerted Prince George's County police in February. Upon searching Wojahn's devices, officials discovered over 1,500 pictures and videos, with approximately 200 files shared on social media platforms.

Wojahn was first elected mayor of College Park in 2015 but resigned in March shortly before his arrest.

The sentencing serves as a strong reminder of the consequences faced by those involved in child sexual abuse material and highlights the importance of preventing the revictimization of exploited children.