Former James M. Bennett teacher, husband plead guilty in child sexual abuse case
SALISBURY, Md. – A former James M. Bennett (JMB) High School teacher and her husband have both plead guilty to charges stemming from child sexual abuse that spanned over five years.
As WMDT previously reported, Ann Moncrief Schuchart and her husband Brock Schuchart were arrested in May on dozens of charges stemming from the sexual abuse of a minor. Ann Schuchart initially faced 52 charges, while Brock Schuchart faced 102 criminal counts, including multiple counts of possessing and filming child pornography, sexual solicitation of a minor, and three counts of second degree rape. All charges were reported to have occurred in Wicomico County, spanning from Apr. 2021 to Apr. 2026.
Now, court documents obtained by WMDT outline the details of their plea bargains.
Ann Schuchart’s Plea Deal
On Oct. 23, Ann Schuchart entered an Alford plea of guilty to one count of sexual abuse of a minor. An Alford plea is a type of guilty plea in a criminal case where a defendant formally accepts a conviction and sentence without admitting to the crime.
The plea offer states that the State will ask for a sentenced of 25 years, with all but 10 years suspended. Sentencing guidelines for the offense range from 10 to 18 years of incarceration; however, the plea is presented with a binding cap of 10 years of active incarceration. Her sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 18.
As part of the plea agreement, Ann Schuchart will be subject to five years of COMET supervision, prohibiting her from having any contact with the victim. Additionally, she will be required to register as a Tier III sexual offender and subject to Lifetime Supervision by the State. As a result, Schuchart will be prohibited from having any unsupervised contact with minors, and her personal devices will be subjected to searchers by Probation & Parole.
Brock Schuchart’s Plea Deal
On Sept. 4, Brock Schuchart accepted a plea deal, tendering guilty pleas to charges of sexual abuse of a minor, rape in the second degree, and production of child pornography. He will also be subject to Lifetime Supervision and registration as a Tier III sexual offender.
His plea offer states that the State will ask for an aggregate sentence of life imprisonment; seeking a life sentence with a 15 year mandatory minimum for the count of second degree rape, 15 years for the charge of sexual abuse of a minor, and 10 years for producing child pornography. Sentencing guidelines for those three charges range from 26 to 42 years of incarceration. His sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 20.
The plea offer also states that the State will not seek to prosecute Brock Schuchart for charges involving a separate minor victim identified by investigators.
WMDT has reached out to Wicomico County Public Schools (WCPS) for comment on Ann Schuchart’s plea deal. She worked for WCPS for over a decade, and was notably named a JMB Teacher of the Year in 2021.
