Former Howell Schools IT Worker Gets 8 Years For Child Porn

TRENTON, NJ – A former information technology specialist in the Howell Township School District who was a volunteer marching band director in Brick has been sentenced to 8 years in prison for receiving child pornography, federal authorities said Thursday.

Matthew Wolny, 41, who now lives in Egg Harbor Township, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in November, was sentenced on one count of receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. Martinotti imposed the sentence.

In September 2013, Wolny, who was then living in Jackson, used peer-to-peer file sharing software he had installed on his computer to download video files containing images of child sexual abuse from the internet to his computer hard drive.

Wolny additionally was sentenced to 10 years of supervised release.

Wolny, who worked for the Howell schools for 13 years as an information technology specialist, initially was arrested in 2013 by Ocean County authorities while he lived in Jackson. But in June he was charged by federal authorities in the case. In addition to working for the Howell schools, he had been a volunteer assistant marching band director at Brick Memorial High School.

Authorities said Wolny had 2,000 images and 1,600 videos of child pornography on multiple computers and portable hard drives at his home, all of which were seized for forfeiture. Authorities also seized three cell phones, according to the federal complaint.

A 2013 Patch report said a .44-caliber handgun also was seized from Wolny, who was arrested after attempting to flee when officers arrived with a search warrant.

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