Ex-Minneapolis homeless shelter director gets jail time for sexual abuse

The former director of a chemical treatment program for the Salvation Army's Harbor Light homeless shelter was sentenced to a year in the workhouse for criminal sexual abuse of a client, a Hennepin County judge ruled Wednesday.

Amy Horsfield must also register as a predatory offender and complete sex offender treatment, among a long list of conditions.

She'll serve six months, with the rest of her sentence stayed, as long as she doesn't violate conditions set by the court. The judge gave her credit for 28 days of time already served.

"This is a sad situation for all those involved, but we are satisfied with the result in this case and believe justice was served," Lisa Godon, lead city prosecutor in the case, said after the sentencing in Minneapolis.

In February, a jury convicted Horsfield, 39, of St. Paul, of engaging in sexual acts with a sex offender who was living at the shelter in Minneapolis and attending the chemical dependency treatment program until he relapsed. He blamed the abusive relationship with her for triggering him to begin using illicit drugs, which led to him being returned to prison.

Hennepin County District Judge Mark Wernick fined Horsfield $1,000 and ordered her to pay $225 to the victim for lost wages. He also said she may need to pay restitution for the victim's therapy costs. She must pay $702 for travel expenses incurred by an out-of-state witness, too, as well as court fees.

The judge banned Horsfield from further contact with the victim or with other vulnerable adults.