Kelvin Powell, a 63-year-old resident of Temple Hills, Maryland, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the sexual abuse of a 17-year-old minor under his care at the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS). The sentence will be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Powell is also required to register as a sex offender.
Powell was convicted on July 1, 2025, by a Superior Court jury on multiple counts including first-degree and second-degree sexual abuse of both a ward and a minor. Judge Rainey Brandt handed down the sentence.
“The court’s sentencing demonstrates that no one is above the law and that justice will prevail,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “The collaborative efforts of my Office, FBI and MPD is a reminder that criminal actions, especially from a child sexual predator, will be met with serious consequences, especially on behalf of our most vulnerable victims.”
"Powell is a sexual predator who repeatedly abused a 17-year-old," said Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division. "As his sentencing demonstrates, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will pursue public servants who use their positions to prey on individuals in their care and custody."
According to evidence presented by prosecutors, Powell served as a Youth Development Representative at DYRS’s Youth Services Center (YSC), which detains young people pending charges for delinquent acts. Between December 2021 and February 2022, Powell used his authority to isolate and sexually abuse the minor in areas not covered by surveillance cameras within YSC. One incident was captured on camera showing Powell groping the minor over her clothing.
Officials acknowledged contributions from several agencies in investigating and prosecuting the case. U.S. Attorney Pirro and Special Agent Davis commended work done by investigators from the FBI’s Washington Field Office as well as support from the Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. Marshals Service. They also recognized former Assistant United States Attorneys Risa Berkower and Cara Gardner for their assistance, along with Assistant United States Attorneys Tim Visser, Jessica Wash, and Niki Holmes who prosecuted the case.
