SALISBURY, Md. - A Worcester County man formerly listed as a social worker at James M Bennett High School has been charged with multiple counts of child pornography possession and distribution.
According to court records obtained by WBOC, Matthew Allen Powell, of Berlin, is charged with two counts of felony possession of child pornography with intent to distribute and eight counts misdemeanor possession of child pornography. The charges date from 2020 to 2023, court records show, and were filed in Worcester County Circuit Court.
Powell, 47, was listed as a social worker in James M Bennett’s student handbook for the 2025-2026 school year but has since been removed. A spokesperson with Wicomico County Public Schools confirmed he was an employee at the high school.
“Matthew Allen Powell, employed at James M. Bennett High, has been charged with multiple offenses unrelated to the school,” public information officer Tracy Sahler said in a statement on Monday. “Wicomico County Public Schools first learned of this when charges were filed last week in Worcester County Circuit Court. All of the alleged offenses occurred before the individual began working for our school system.”
“We want to reassure everyone that the safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority. As soon as we learned of these charges, we took immediate steps to ensure the individual no longer has contact with students,” Sahler continued. “The school informed parents and staff of the situation Friday.”
“Our school system is following established protocols, and because this is both a personnel matter and an active law enforcement investigation, we cannot provide further details at this time.”
According to court records, Powell was indicted on Sept. 22 and arrested on Sept. 24. A hearing is currently scheduled for Dec. 4, and a trial is slated to be held on Jan. 12 in Worcester County.