Minnesota Man Found Guilty of Sexually Abusing Subordinate During Training Mission at Army Base in San Bernardino County

A former member of the Minnesota National Guard was found guilty by a jury today of sexually abusing a subordinate during a training mission at Fort Irwin United States Army base in San Bernardino County.

Kelly Boylan, 56, of Minneapolis, was found guilty of one count of abusive sexual contact.

According to evidence presented at a four-day trial, in July 2020, Boylan was a member of the Minnesota National Guard and, during a training mission at Fort Irwin, sexually abused a direct subordinate, who then was a 23-year-old woman. Both Boylan and the victim had been deployed to Fort Irwin for one month of training.

Boylan was a staff sergeant, which is a non-commissioned officer, and outranked the victim, who was a specialist, which is a junior soldier.

In the Army, non-commissioned officers are prohibited from engaging in sexual relationships with junior soldiers because of the military authority they exert over them.

The victim reported the attack to the Army’s law enforcement division, which began an investigation that led to Boylan’s arrest and prosecution.

United States District Judge Wesley L. Hsu scheduled a July 24 sentencing hearing, at which time Boylan, who is free on $25,000 bond, will face a statutory maximum sentence of two years in federal prison.

The FBI investigated this matter. The United States Army Criminal Investigation Division provided assistance.

Assistant United States Attorneys Neil P. Thakor of the Major Crimes Section and Erin C. Kiss of the Riverside Branch Office are prosecuting this case.