Professional rock climber sentenced for sexual assaults in Yosemite
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A 40-year-old rock climber was sentenced on Tuesday following a series of sexual assaults in Yosemite National Park, according to the federal Department of Justice.
According to federal prosecutors, 40-year-old Charles Barrett was sentenced to life in prison for two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual contact that occurred during a weekend in Yosemite.
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Court documents and evidence presented at trial state that in August 2016 the unidentified victim went to Yosemite for a weekend of hiking; Barrett, who was living and working for a private business in the park, sexually assaulted her three times.
During the trial, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert says three other women testified that Barrett also sexually assaulted them. These assaults were not charged because they were outside federal jurisdiction but were admitted at trial as relevant to the charged assaults.
According to court documents, in 2017, seven years after he assaulted one of the victims who testified at trial, Barrett purposely climbed at a rock-climbing gym where the victim attended. She then disclosed Barrett’s assault on her to the gym owner in the interest of protecting other women at the gym. Barrett responded by harassing and threatening her for several years. In August 2022, he was convicted for criminal threats he made in January 2022.
While in custody, prosecutors say Barrett made hundreds of phone calls. On these calls, prosecutors say he showed no remorse or regret; he instead threatened to use violence and vindictive lawsuits against the victims, claiming that they designed a conspiracy to ruin his life.
“Barrett’s long history of sexual violence supports the imposition of a life sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert. “He used his status as a prominent climber to assault women in the rock-climbing community, and when his victims began to tell, Barrett responded by lashing out publicly with threats and intimidation.”
Talbert added that the case is a testament to the courage of the victims who reported the crimes.
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