{UAH} THIS DEMOCRAT MAYOR WAS ARRESTED WITH 45,000 FILES OF CHILD SEX ABUSE IMAGES

Former Md. mayor charged with possessing child sexual abuse material

Joel Biermann, formerly mayor of University Park, Md., was ordered to remain in jail Wednesday on 28 charges.

While seeking another term as mayor of tiny University Park, Md., a town of roughly 2,500 in Prince George’s County, Joel Biermann ran on a platform of “protecting our children” before abandoning the effort earlier this year, his campaign website and election records show.

On Wednesday, Biermann, 46, was ordered held in jail on charges of possessing child sexual abuse material and other counts that include accusations he solicited a man outside the United States to produce specific images of young boys, court filings show.

Investigators allege in the filings that Biermann kept “approximately 45,000 suspected child pornography files” on a hard drive in his bedroom. At least some of the images, investigators alleged, showed young boys engaged in sex acts with adults. Investigators also found more than 4,500 chat messages from early 2021 to late 2023 between Biermann and a person outside the country “who produced sexually explicit material of minors in exchange for payment,” the filings state.

Biermann was mayor of University Park from mid-2022 to mid-2024 after serving on the Town Council, according to a June municipal resolution saluting his leadership. The mayor position is considered part-time and pays $20,000 annually, according to Debi Sandlin, the town administrator.

Sandlin in a statement said the FBI notified town police early Monday of their plans to search a property owned by Biermann on Tuckerman Street, but she offered no further comment, noting that he was no longer affiliated with University Park. “These are serious charges, and the Town is ready to assist as requested,” she said.

Biermann, who was arrested earlier this week, said little in court Wednesday, appearing in a video feed from the Prince George’s jail as attorneys argued over whether he should be held or released.

“The defendant’s chosen weapon — rather than a gun or a knife — was to use electronics,” said Assistant State’s Attorney Nina Newman, calling Biermann a threat to children. She said he took regular trips to East Asia and argued for his continued detention, away from internet access.

Biermann’s attorney countered that he could be released on home arrest and would agree to computer restrictions. “He is not running from this,” said the attorney, who declined to give her name after court when asked by a reporter. “He plans to fight this.”

District Judge Brian Denton ordered Biermann held in jail without bond, calling the allegations “very stark and very startling.”

Reached Wednesday by text message, Biermann’s sister Jennifer Biermann said from Wisconsin that she had not spoken with her brother in years but was stunned by the allegations against him. “I’m shocked. I’m heartbroken,” she said.

He first moved to University Park, which borders College Park, in 2013, according to the June resolution, which noted his advocacy of human and animal rights and commitment to pedestrian safety while in office. He received a political science degree in Wisconsin, according to a LinkedIn page that appeared to belong to Biermann, and went on to work as a legislative aide in the Wisconsin State Assembly, according to his campaign site.

Biermann also served for 25 years in the U.S. Army Reserve and was deployed to Iraq, according to his campaign website and comments made Wednesday by his attorney. He has worked as a business consultant and obtained an MBA, his attorney said.

He was elected to University Park’s seven-member Town Council in June 2020. He ran unopposed for mayor two years later, collecting 342 votes, according to town records. His campaign site states that as mayor, Biermann “approaches problems with a ‘can-do’ attitude,’” and lists 12 achievements from his term, two of which relate to child welfare.

Prince George’s Police began their case against Biermann in March, according to court records, when the FBI notified them of an investigation involving his alleged use of child sex abuse materials.

Within two months, investigators had obtained a search warrant to review Biermann’s Facebook account, where they found the 4,500 chat messages, according to court filings.

“During these chats,” detectives wrote, “the defendant is observed soliciting sexually explicit material of minors in exchange for payment.” One boy was identified as 11 years old, and a second boy appeared to be 10 to 12, the records said.