Former Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Sailor Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of a Minor

PORTLAND, Maine: A Michigan man was sentenced today in federal court in Portland for sexually abusing a minor, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Matthew Boyd, 33, to five years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Boyd pleaded guilty on January 25, 2022.

According to court records, in August 2009, Boyd was a 20-year-old active-duty sailor stationed at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard when he began corresponding with a then 11-year-old on Myspace. When the minor was 12, she visited Boyd at the shipyard, and the two engaged in a sexual act. In October 2020, the now adult victim working with law enforcement reached out to Boyd and during the conversation, Boyd confessed.

“The passage of time will not shield sexual predators,” McElwee said. “This case is a fine example of the diligence and commitment to justice we expect to see from our law enforcement community. It is critically important that regardless of the passage of time, sexual predators, particularly those who victimize children, are held accountable for their conduct within the bounds of the law. May the courage of this survivor be an encouraging message to those who have been similarly traumatized that they can seek and achieve justice.”

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigated the case.

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