Climber sentenced to life for Yosemite attacks

A professional climber convicted of sexually assaulting a woman three times during his visit to Yosemite National Park has been sentenced to life in prison.

Charles Barrett, 40, was convicted Tuesday of two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual contact, according to federal prosecutors.

Barrett's “abusive sexual contact” occurred in August 2016 while the victim was on a weekend hike in California, according to court documents and evidence.

At the time, Barrett, a star climber and guidebook author, was living and working for a private company in the park.

U.S. Attorney Phillip Talbert said in a statement after the sentencing: “Barrett’s long history of sexual violence warrants the imposition of a life sentence.

“He used his status as a prominent climber to assault women in the climbing community, and when his victims began to speak out, Barrett responded by publicly lashing out with threats and intimidation .”

During the trial, prosecutors told the court that Barrett lured the victim to a secluded area by inviting her to watch a meteor shower, then raped her, local news reported.

He also assaulted her while she was swimming in the Tuolumne River and raped her again in a communal shower, according to court documents.

Three other women testified during the trial that Barrett sexually assaulted them beginning in 2008.

Prosecutors did not file charges against the women because the alleged incidents occurred outside federal jurisdiction.

On the day of the sentencing, local media described the four women in court in tears, at times holding hands.

Timothy Hennessy, Barrett's attorney, told the judge that a life sentence was inappropriate because Barrett suffered from a mental illness.

He also claims the women conspired against him to “ruin his life,” prosecutors said.

Barrett's lawyers said he plans to appeal the conviction.

According to federal prosecutors, Barrett had a long history of abuse and harassment.

He showed up at a climbing gym frequented by one of the victims who testified at a trial in 2017, years after he allegedly attacked her, prosecutors said.

She told the gym owner about her experience — hoping to protect other women — and was then harassed and threatened by Barrett for years, prosecutors said. He was convicted of criminal threats in August 2022.