SALISBURY, Md. - A former social worker at James M Bennett High School has been sentenced for the promotion/distribution of child pornography.
As WBOC previously reported, Matthew Allen Powell, 47, of Berlin, was originally charged in Worcester County Circuit Court in September of 2025 on two counts of felony possession of child pornography with intent to distribute and multiple other misdemeanor child pornography possession charges.
Powell was previously listed as a social worker at James M Bennett High School for the 2025-2026 school year. Wicomico County Public Schools said the alleged offenses occurred before Powell was employed with the school system and the offenses were unrelated to his employment. Prosecutors alleged the offenses occurred between 2020 and 2023.
In January of 2026, Powell pleaded guilty to one count felony promotion/distribution of child pornography. The various other charges against him were not pursued, according to online court records.
Court documents show that on Friday, April 17, Powell was sentenced to 10 years with all but 18 months suspended. Following his year-and-a-half active sentence, Powell was also sentenced to five years supervised probation and will be required to register as a Tier II Sex Offender.
