VAN NUYS : Man, 73, Accused of Sexual Abuse

A 73-year-old North Hollywood man was charged Thursday with sexually assaulting three female family members, two of whom allege they were attacked nearly 18 years ago.

In a felony arrest warrant filed in Van Nuys Municipal Court, Paul Edward Barber was charged with 10 felony counts, including charges of continuous sexual abuse of the three alleged victims.

The charges carry a potential prison sentence of 60 years in prison.

Details on the case were sketchy Thursday afternoon, primarily because Barber had not yet been taken into custody.

Ventura police began investigating the case last year when a girl, now 9 years old, came forward and said Barber molested her from June, 1992, until September, 1993.

As the investigation continued, authorities turned up two other relatives, who are now 23 and 25, who said they were attacked in the summer of 1976.

These older allegations were not the result of recovered memories.

Prosecutors allege the attacks took place while the girls were visiting Barber in his home in the 10000 block of Keswick Street.

Currently, the statute of limitations on sexual assault charges prevents prosecutors from filing charges more than six years after the incident.

But an exception that became law only this year allows a criminal complaint to be filed, no matter how long ago the alleged offense occurred, when an adult alleges they were molested while a juvenile. This exception to the statute of limitations requires that there be “substantial sexual conduct” as well as corroborating evidence.

Prosecutors declined to comment on what corroborates the allegations made in relation to the alleged attacks in 1976.