Prominent Climber Sentenced to Life in Prison for Repeated Sexual Assault in Yosemite

After being convicted in February on two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual contact, professional rock climber Charles Barrett, 40, has been sentenced to life in prison for repeatedly sexually assaulting a woman during a weekend trip to Yosemite National Park in 2016. This decision was announced by Phillip A. Talbert, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of California, on Tuesday.

Prominent Climber's Abuse

According to Mr. Talbert, Barrett used his status as a prominent climber to assault women in the rock-climbing community. This case also involved three other women who testified that they had been sexually assaulted by Barrett. However, their cases were not federally charged due to falling out of the prosecutors’ jurisdiction. Mr. Talbert emphasized that Barrett’s long history of sexual violence supported the imposition of a life sentence.

Legal Response

Timothy Patrick Hennessy and David A. Torres, the lawyers for Mr. Barrett, expressed their intention to file an appeal, stating, “We believe that imposition of a life sentence was excessive. Nevertheless, we will file an appeal.”