Shasta County’s District Attorney is trying to prevent the early prison release of a convicted child predator. Stephanie Bridgett says a parole hearing will be held April 24th that may result in the release of Robert Barber. He was convicted in 2000 by Senior Deputy District Attorney Kelly Kafel, who says he would spend years gaining the trust of young boys and their families until he found opportunities to sexually abuse them. Barber sexually assaulted countless young victims in Shasta County for decades until one of them finally spoke up. Barber then fled to Mexico and was eventually captured and returned after appearing on the TV program “America’s Most Wanted”. Six victims testified against Barber during his trial, resulting in 32 counts of child molestation and a sentence of over 50 years in prison. He now may be released early under California’s “Elder Parole Program” simply due to his age and the number of years he’s served. Bridgett and Kafel say they believe Barber is still a danger to the community, and they’re asking for people to write comments and letters expressing their opposition. Contact information can be found on the KQMS Facebook Page.
-Steve Gibson