Actor And Scientology Dabbler, James Barbour, Pleads Guilty To Sexual Crimes With A Minor
Actor and Broadway star James Barbour plead guilty in court today for crimes stemming from an series of encounters he had with a 15-year old girl in 2001. Above is a video leaked of James at a Scientology event.
Barbour became well-known for his portrayal as the Beast in the Broadway musical adaptation for Beauty and the Beast, but his off-screen actions are more akin to a real-life monster than a Disney fairy tale. From the news article:
"James Barbour...was sentenced in a Manhattan court Feb. 29 to a 60-day jail term and three years' probation....the sentencing followed Barbour's January guilty plea to "two misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a minor.The 41-year-old actor had been indicted in 2006 on nine counts of engaging in criminal sexual acts, sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child.
Barbour...admitted that he sexually touched a 15-year-old female fan when she visited him backstage following a performance of Jane Eyre in 2001 and when she later visited his apartment on New York's Upper West Side.
Barbour will not have to register as a sex offender because he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. The lesser charge, however, was in exchange for the 60-day jail sentence and three years of probation."
*You have to marvel at our judicial system. You can sexually molest a child and because of plea bargains and loopholes, you are allowed to serve a mere 60 days in jail, avoid being labeled a sexual predator and get off with a misdemeanor. Great! Really, it's just great.
So, in all fairness, Mr. Barbour committed this crime BEFORE he began taking classes to become a Scientologist beginning in 2004. Perhaps he wanted to purge himself of whatever past-life transgressions were responsible for turning him into a child-raping monster. Or, more likely, he was seeking validation for his ego-centric views that only the Celebrity Center in LA can offer you.
Whatever the motivation, his experience in Scientology didn't help him become a better person or cure him of his pedophilia. In fact, the young woman he originally molested in 2001 kept silent until she heard about another teen accusing Barfour of molesting her in 2006. It was only then, that this woman came forward. As is typical of defense attorneys in these types of cases, Barbour and his lawyer tried to paint this young woman (now 22) as the sexual aggressor. Here's more from this story in the NYDN:
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