"He used his status as a prominent climber to assault women in the rock-climbing community," said U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez of his decision to deliver the maximum sentence, "and when his victims began to tell, Barrett responded by lashing out publicly with threats and intimidation."
The trial will be followed by a sentencing hearing, scheduled for May 21. Barrett faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Federal prosecutors allege that Charles Barrett—a prominent member of the Northern California climbing community who goes to trial for sexual assault next week—is a serial offender with a shocking history of violence, harassment, and intimidation. An exclusive investigation into his life and alleged actions raises troubling questions about the dangers women continue to face in the outdoors.