A former member of the Minnesota National Guard was sentenced on July 24 to 24 months in federal prison for sexually abusing a subordinate during a training mission at Fort Irwin United States Army base in San Bernardino County.
Kelly Boylan, 56, of Minneapolis, received the sentence from United States District Judge Wesley L. Hsu. A jury found Boylan guilty on April 9 of one count of abusive sexual contact after a four-day trial. He has remained in federal custody since his conviction.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Boylan committed the offense in July 2020 while serving as a staff sergeant with the Minnesota National Guard. The victim was a 23-year-old woman who served as a specialist under Boylan’s command during their month-long deployment at Fort Irwin. In the Army, non-commissioned officers such as staff sergeants are prohibited from engaging in sexual relationships with junior soldiers due to their military authority over them.
The victim reported the incident to the Army’s law enforcement division, which led an investigation resulting in Boylan’s arrest and prosecution. During sentencing proceedings, prosecutors said, “Military leaders are entrusted with extraordinary responsibility, and with that responsibility comes a heightened obligation to safeguard those under their command. Rather than fulfilling that obligation, [Boylan] violated it in one of the most fundamental ways possible.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case with assistance from the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Neil P. Thakor and Erin C. Kiss prosecuted.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California serves more than 19 million residents across seven counties and focuses on prosecuting federal criminal cases while handling civil matters for the government; it also supports community outreach through programs focused on victim assistance and public education and works closely with law enforcement partners to ensure public safety, according to its official website.