A former Lincolnton High School principal was sentenced to a maximum of three years and six months in prison related to sex crimes which involved a student.

Court records show that he pleaded guilty in Lincoln County Superior Court to consolidated charges that include felony counts of sex act with a student by a principal. He is currently incarcerated at the Davidson Correctional Center and his release date is set for Apr 26, 2022.

Tony Worley

Tony Worley was arrested on Friday, July 5, 2019. Court records unsealed in Sept. 2019 detailed that Worley had engaged in sexually explicit behavior with several other students.

Worley was charged with 11 sex crimes in 2019. Charges at that time included two counts of felony indecent liberties with a student, two counts of felony solicitation of sex with a student, two counts of misdemeanor solicitation for indecent liberties with a minor, and five counts of felony sexual activity with a student.

According to the warrants, the victim claimed Worley sent him nude photos of at least six young males. Law enforcement indicated the photos were taken in Worley’s home and on his own bed.

Worley was originally hired in 2002 as an assistant principal. He voluntarily resigned two days after being suspended by Lincoln County Public Schools on June 24, 2019.

Worley was the 3oth educator arrest out of a total of 64 tracked by this website in 2019. He is only the second conviction reported to date for educators arrested that year.