Accused Serial Rapist Caught
By: Lisa Carr
Updated: July 15, 2008

The accused "Taser Rapist," who police say has struck at least two times this month, is now behind bars. Now if Barbian did committ the rapes this month and the ones back in 2006, officials say there is a clear reason for the large gap in between. Barbian went to prison in October 2006 and just got out last month. Tonight he remains here in the county jail, and we'll keep you updated on whether he's officially charged in any other cases.
Police arrested a Plainview man early Tuesday morning on charges of kidnapping and sexual assault and say he's now a suspect in at least half a dozen rape cases.
33-year-old Timothy Shawn Barbian is facing one count of aggravated kidnapping and one count of sexual assault in connection to attacks on two Lubbock women this month. Police say a crimeline tip, followed by at least three recent victims identifying Barbian as their attacker led to the arrest, but they have not yet found the taser gun he's accused of using in the assaults. Police say on July 3rd, Barbian used a taser gun to kidnap a woman, and take her to the Joyland parking lot, where he raped her. Then on July 10th he kidnapped another woman from a local Town and Country and attempted to rape her. Recently two other women came forward saying Barbian also assaulted them this month and police say they believe he also used a taser gun to rape three women back in 2006. Lt. Jon Caspell with the LPD says, "It's good for the citizens of Lubbock to have him off the streets. He had a very specific and targeted victim he was looking for in this, but he has also shown a pattern of escalating and we needed to get him stopped and in jail before any further escalation could happen.


