Professional climber sentenced to life imprisonment for sexually abusing a woman in Yosemite National Park

40-year-old professional climber Charles Barrett was sentenced to prison on Tuesday for sexual assault.

Barrett had previously been found guilty of sexually abusing a woman in Yosemite National Park.

The big picture: In August 2016, the victim was spending a weekend hiking in Yosemite National Park when Barrett sexually assaulted her three times.

• Barrett was living and working for a private company in Yosemite National Park at the time.
• Three other women also testified during the trial that Barrett had sexually abused them, but those assaults were not prosecuted because they were outside of federal jurisdiction.
• In a statement, federal prosecutors said Barrett made hundreds of phone calls while in custody and showed no remorse or regret, instead threatening violence and revenge against the victims.

What you say: “Barrett’s long history of sexual violence justifies the imposition of a life sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “He used his status as a prominent climber to attack women in the climbing community, and when his victims began to speak out, Barrett responded by publicly responding with threats and intimidation. This case is a testament to the courage of the victims who reported these crimes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to investigate and prosecute violent crimes in national parks like Yosemite.”