Broadway Star James Barbour, 40, Charged with 5 Counts of Criminal Sex acts & sexual abuse against a teen
James Bardour, Broadway star known for playing the Beast in “Beauty and the Beast” has been charged with five counts of criminal sexual acts and sexual abuse of a 15 year old. Bardour pleaded not guilty to the charges that stem back to 2001.
James Barbour, 40, was charged with five counts of criminal sex acts and sexual abuse against the teen back in 2001. She came forward earlier this year before the five-year statute of limitations expired.
Assistant District Attorney Maxine Rosenthal, speaking at the hearing, said prosecutors were aware of a second case in which Barbour allegedly had sexual contact with another underage girl, in California.
If the New York case goes to trial, Rosenthal said, she will try to introduce evidence regarding the uncharged California case. She did not discuss specifics. (International Herald Tribune)
In a statement from April 2006, James Bardour states quite a different version of events. What does it say? Blames the 15 year old of course.
In a written statement signed April 4, 2006, and made public Wednesday by Rosenthal, Barbour said sexual contact with the girl, a student at the high school he attended, was initiated by her when he had dinner with her and her boyfriend.
The girl later told him she was 16 and wanted to pursue a career in theater, Barbour’s statement said.
During a subsequent telephone conversation, the statement said, Barbour asked the girl what she was thinking the night they had dinner together, “and she said ‘I was thinking I wanted to’” have sex with him.
One evening, he and the girl went to his apartment, and they lay in bed and discussed sex acts and kissed, the statement said.
SEXY ‘BEAST’ BUSTED AS PERV
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The now-20-year-old woman, who is working in the theater, came forward only recently – just within the five-year statute of limitations.
Manhattan prosecutors, who are withholding her name, say she contacted authorities out of a concern that other young girls might be at risk.
Fearing there may be more victims, authorities have asked that anyone with any possible sex-assault allegations against Barbour contact prosecutors at (212) 335-9373. (NY Post)
Underage cutie and ‘The Beast’
Prosecutors charge that the girl, who was visiting from a nearby suburb, was molested backstage as her parents sat in the audience and then again at a restaurant later that night, officials said.
A month later, Barbour invited the teenager back to his upper West Side apartment and the two engaged in sex acts, officials said.
The victim, who is now 20 years old, came forward with her allegations in April. Barbour was arrested later that month released after posting bail, officials said.
A source in the Manhattan district attorney’s office said the teenager came forward earlier this year because she realized what he had done was wrong and she was concerned that he might have approached other underage girls. (NY Daily News)