DAMIAN LASOTA SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON FOR SEXUAL OFFENCES IN BATH

In June 2021, a sexually premeditating individual who sought out 'granny porn' online and later attempted to assault one elderly woman in her home and sexually targeted another was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Damian Lasota, 27, of Parry Close in Southdown, Bath, was described by a judge as the 'stuff of nightmares' due to his pattern of victimizing lone women in the Twerton area of Bath. His reign of terror was brought to an end when police installed CCTV cameras at the victims’ homes, leading to his arrest after he was caught in the act.

Lasota admitted to charges including attempted rape, two counts of trespassing with intent to commit a sexual offense, and two counts of exposure. He appeared in Bristol Crown Court wearing a grey jumper over his head.

Judge Julian Lambert sentenced him to a total of 20 years, consisting of a 13-and-a-half-year prison term followed by six-and-a-half years on extended licence. The court ordered that Lasota must serve at least two-thirds of his custodial sentence before being eligible for parole.

The judge remarked, “You are a predatory sex offender who is the stuff of nightmares. You were a masked prowler, stalking women at dead of night. You are proved to have attacked an older lady who was highly vulnerable. You then continued looking for opportunities to offend further. Your intention was to subdue and then rape women in their own homes at night. To say you have a deeply disturbed sexual psychology is an understatement.”

In addition, Lasota was banned from working with children and vulnerable adults and was ordered to register as a sex offender indefinitely.

Prosecutor James Haskell revealed that in the previous year, police received approximately 40 reports of a man exposing himself to women in Twerton. Following Lasota’s arrest, no further reports were made.

The court detailed an incident from last year when Lasota entered the home of a 73-year-old woman, following her into her bedroom. He pulled down his trousers, claimed he was not going to hurt her, and attempted to engage her in a sexual act, which she declined. He told her, “I like older women,” while exposing himself before leaving. After this incident, the victim's home was upgraded with security cameras.

Lasota was caught on CCTV returning to the same woman’s home around 1 a.m. on multiple occasions, prowling in her back garden. He also targeted another woman, aged 65, by visiting her home during night hours and exposing himself, which was also recorded on CCTV.

Police officers in plain clothes observed Lasota acting suspiciously near the second woman’s residence, shining a light toward her property. He realized he had been spotted, ran away, and was later apprehended with small stones in his pocket, along with face masks and a torch. Analyses of his mobile phone confirmed internet searches for “granny pom.”