Student Facing 29 Child Pornography Charges Barred From GMU Campus

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — After learning that an award-winning student had been charged with 29 counts of possession of child pornography, George Mason University barred the 19-year-old from its campus until further notice, a university spokesman told Patch on Friday.

"The Fairfax man who recently was arrested on charges of possessing child pornography is registered as a student at George Mason University," said John Hollis, the media relations manager in the school's Office of University Branding. "However, since the university became aware of the charges against him, he has been barred from entering campus until further notice."

City of Fairfax Police arrested Rahman Mawardy on Wednesday, after they executed a search warrant at his home in the 10300 block of Beaumont Street, according to the incident report.

After Mawardy was served with the 29 arrest warrants, he was taken to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center and held on a $5,000 bond, according to police. He was later released on his own recognizance.

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In March 2024, Mawardy was awarded a Mason Declaration Award from GMU, according to a post on the Academia School's Facebook account. The mission of the school is to provide "a holistic and enriching educational experience to students in Dhaka, Bangladesh," according to its website. The total amount of the award was $48,000, with $12,000 being paid out over four years. He was listed as a member of the Class of 2028.

"The university will continue to work cooperatively with local authorities as the case requires and is reviewing the situation to determine if further measures are warranted," Hollis said.

Mawardy was arrested in connection to an unnamed incident that occurred on Sept. 28, according to court documents. He is scheduled to be arraigned at 10:30 a.m, on Monday, in Fairfax County General District Court and a preliminary hearing was set for 2 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2026.

All 29 possession of child pornography charges are Class 5 felonies. If convicted on any of these charges, Mawardy faces a possible sentence of one to 10 years in prison, confinement in jail for up to 12 months, and/or a fine of up to $2,500, under the Code of Virginia.

Since 2020, Mawardy has been self-employed, working as a digital content creator and video editor, according to his LinkedIn page. While in high school, Mawardy interned in the Chief Adviser's Office at the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority.