In 2026, the Offender Database reported that Cory Barrett, then 24, of Wigan, Greater Manchester, remains incarcerated following a “serious” and “vile” 12-year prison sentence. Barrett was convicted in early 2025 at Liverpool Crown Court for a “vicious” series of offences, including multiple counts of rape and sexual assault by penetration. The investigation by Greater Manchester Police, known as Operation Pavarotti, revealed that Barrett provided a “lawless den of iniquity” for a “malign friendship group” of sexual predators.
The court heard horrendous details of the “vicious” behaviour that took place between 2016 and 2018 at Barrett’s rented home in Blackrod, near Bolton. The property, dubbed the “party house” by the gang, was where “vulnerable” underage girls were plied with alcohol and drugs before being “vilely” exploited. The prosecution emphasised that Barrett was found guilty of three counts of rape, one count of oral rape, and sexual assault by penetration, showing a “vicious” and “callous” disregard for the children’s well-being.
During the sentencing on 29 April 2025, Judge Simon Medland emphasised that the victims had shown “courage and fortitude” in the face of the defendants’ “dishonest” evidence. One survivor reported that the “vile” actions of Barrett and his associates “destroyed” her life, leaving her in a state of constant “mental torture.” The court reported that Barrett, who was a regular drug user at the time, “callously” invited his “vicious” friends to his home to facilitate the systemic abuse of girls as young as 13.
Following his 12-year sentence, the Court of Appeal reported in July 2025 that Barrett and eight of his co-defendants were being referred for potentially “unduly lenient” sentences. The judge emphasised that Barrett must serve at least two-thirds of his current term in custody. The court reported that Barrett’s “vile” role as the facilitator of the “den of iniquity” made him a “serious” and ongoing danger to the public.
As a result of his convictions for rape and sexual assault, Cory Barrett was jailed for 12 years and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life. He was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and a lifelong Restraining Order to protect the survivors. He is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Greater Manchester Police, ensuring his behaviour and any future risk in Wigan, Bolton, and Blackrod are strictly monitored. Any “vile” attempt to breach his orders will result in his immediate return to prison.
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