ALEXANDRIA, Minn. - An Alexandria man apologized to his teenage victim, her family and his own children Friday as he was sentenced to 25 years in prison in connection with a high profile 2017 kidnapping and sexual assault case.
Tomas Barker, 33, showed little emotion as he stood in a Douglas County courtroom and made his first public statement since being arrested in September of 2017. "I'm ready to do my time and move on," Barker told the courtroom, "but I apologize." Barker included his own six children in his apology, as they will grow up without a father.
Following the 25-year sentence Thomas Barker will remain on conditional release for the rest of his life. He will also have to register as a predatory sex offender.
Barker was convicted of one count of kidnapping and two counts of sexual assault in the high profile case. The then-15-year-old girl was reported missing August 9 of 2017, and was not heard from until September 5, when she jumped out of a pickup truck and swam across Lake Carlos to escape her captors. The girl told police how Barker, the father of one of her friends, came to her home that night and said his son was not behaving and that he needed her help. Jasmine says she got in Barker's truck, and he proceeded to his residence where he zip-tied her, pointed a gun at her and raped her.
The girl told authorities that Barker and two other men, Joshua Holby and Steven Powers, held her captive, with Barker and Powers repeatedly forcing her to have sexual relations. She said that Barker tried to kill her on two separate occasions during her imprisonment.
During Friday's sentencing six people stood up to read victim impact statements. The teen's mother read hers and later talked to KARE 11's Kent Erdahl, describing the lasting impact and trauma her daughter has lived with since she was kidnapped and sexually assaulted.
Powers and Holby are scheduled to be sentenced in January for their roles in the case.