Sunday 1 November 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 14278Sexual offences against a child · Co. Limerick · 2 Aug 2019

Appeal court increases sentence for man in Limerick child sex case

Daniel Lasota, a Polish man aged 44 or 45, met a 15-year-old boy on the Grindr app on 2 August 2019 and collected him at a playground in County Limerick for sex. The boy got out of Lasota's car at a red light in Limerick city and told the driver behind that he had been kidnapped. Lasota was arrested five days later and pleaded guilty in February 2024 to one count of meeting a child for sexual exploitation and two counts of using ICT to facilitate sexual exploitation of a child. He was sentenced in March 2024 to two and a half years with the final 18 months suspended and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years. The Court of Criminal Appeal in March 2025 found the original sentence unduly lenient and increased it to six years.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Convicted14 Feb
  6. Sentenced27 Mar
    3 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
Lasota met a 15-year-old boy on the Grindr app and collected him at a playground in County Limerick for sex.
Where
The boy got out of Lasota's car at a red light in Limerick city and told the driver behind that he had been kidnapped.
When
The incident occurred on 2 August 2019.
Investigation
Lasota was arrested five days later through a process of elimination, with Gardaí using CCTV of his Volvo and an EVOFIT made with the victim's assistance.
Charges
Lasota pleaded guilty to one count of meeting a child for the purpose of sexual exploitation and two counts of using ICT to facilitate sexual exploitation of a child.
In court
The Court of Criminal Appeal found the original sentence was an error in principle and unduly lenient, and that the offence relating to a second child should have yielded a separate sentence.
Sentence
  • Lasota was sentenced in March 2024 to two and a half years with the final 18 months suspended, to be served concurrently, and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.
  • The Court of Criminal Appeal in March 2025 increased the sentence to six years.
Other details
  • Lasota was a self-employed Polish accountant of Carr Street, Limerick, aged 44 or 45, with no previous convictions.
  • Phone messages included offers to pay for sex with the boy and references to children aged 11 and 12.
47 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe boy got out of the car at a red light in Limerick city and told the driver behind he had been kidnapped. (limerickleader.ie)
  • whatDaniel Lasota admitted meeting a 15-year-old boy at a playground in County Limerick to have sex. (limerickpost.ie)
  • whatLasota admitted meeting a 15-year-old boy at a playground in County Limerick to have sex with him. (thejournal.ie)
  • whereLasota collected the boy at a playground in County Limerick. (limerickleader.ie)
  • whereLasota collected a 15-year-old boy at a playground in County Limerick. (limerickleader.ie)
  • whereLasota later met the boy at a playground in County Limerick. (limerickpost.ie, thejournal.ie)
  • whenThe victim and accused were texting and exchanging photos on Grindr on a date in August 2019. (limerickleader.ie)
  • whenLasota and the boy had met earlier on a date in August 2019 on Grindr. (limerickleader.ie)
  • whenOn August 2, 2019, Lasota accessed the Grindr dating app. (limerickpost.ie)
  • whenOn 2 August 2019 Lasota accessed the Grindr app and began communicating with another user. (thejournal.ie)
  • investigationLasota was arrested five days later through a process of elimination. (limerickleader.ie)
  • investigationAn evofit, or police sketch, was made with the assistance of the victim. (limerickleader.ie)
  • investigationAfter Lasota's arrest, information was downloaded from his phone and from his Grindr profile. (limerickleader.ie)
  • investigationGardaí harvested CCTV footage of Lasota's Volvo car to trace him. (limerickpost.ie)
  • investigationGardaí seized Lasota's mobile phone when they searched his home. (limerickpost.ie)
  • investigationGardaí obtained CCTV footage of Lasota's Volvo car and compiled an EVOFIT of his face. (thejournal.ie)
  • investigationGardaí searched Lasota's home and seized his mobile phone. (thejournal.ie)
  • chargeLasota pleaded guilty to one count of meeting a child for the purpose of sexual exploitation and two counts of using ICT to facilitate sexual exploitation of a child. (limerickleader.ie)
  • chargeLasota pleaded guilty to one count of meeting a child for the purpose of sexual exploitation and two counts of using information and communication technology to facilitate sexual exploitation of a child. (limerickleader.ie)
  • chargeLasota pleaded guilty to one count of meeting a boy for sex and two counts of using communication technology to facilitate the sexual exploitation of a child. (limerickpost.ie, thejournal.ie)
  • courtDefence counsel spoke of the value of the guilty plea so the victim did not have to give evidence. (limerickleader.ie)
  • courtJudge Sheehan adjourned matters until a date in March for judgment. (limerickleader.ie)
  • courtThe judge found a number of aggravating factors, including that the boy looked extremely young and that Lasota allowed him into his car. (limerickleader.ie)
  • courtMitigating factors included Lasota's guilty pleas and that he had not come to adverse garda attention in the intervening years. (limerickleader.ie)
  • courtLasota's original sentence was imposed at Limerick Circuit Court in March 2024. (limerickpost.ie)
  • courtThe Court of Criminal Appeal found the original sentence was an error in principle and unduly lenient. (limerickpost.ie)
  • courtThe Court of Appeal found the original sentence was an error in principle and unduly lenient. (thejournal.ie)
  • courtThe Court of Appeal said the offence relating to the second child should have yielded a separate sentence. (thejournal.ie)
  • sentenceLasota was jailed for two and a half years, with the last 18 months suspended on each count, to be served concurrently. (limerickleader.ie)
  • sentenceLasota was placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years. (limerickleader.ie)
  • sentenceThe original sentence was two and a half years, with the final 18 months suspended. (limerickpost.ie, thejournal.ie)
  • sentenceOn appeal, Lasota was jailed for six years. (limerickpost.ie)
  • sentenceThe Court of Appeal jailed Lasota for six years. (thejournal.ie)
  • otherDet Sgt Reidy said Lasota was clearly seeking out young boys for his own sexual gratification. (limerickleader.ie)
  • otherLasota told gardaí the boy said he was 16 and a half, but he did not believe him. (limerickleader.ie)
  • otherCounselling and psychological reports indicate a zero to low risk of reoffending. (limerickleader.ie)
  • otherLasota offered to pay a man he met online for sex with his young cousin. (limerickleader.ie)
  • otherThe boy got out of Lasota's car at a red light in Limerick city and told the driver behind that he had been kidnapped. (limerickleader.ie)
  • otherA psychological report indicated a zero to low risk of reoffending. (limerickleader.ie)
  • otherThe phone messages included offers to pay for sex with the boy and references to children aged 11 and 12. (limerickpost.ie)
  • otherThe Court of Appeal found the offence relating to a second child should have yielded a separate sentence. (limerickpost.ie)
  • otherThe court had difficulty accepting a psychotherapist's finding that Lasota was at low risk of reoffending. (limerickpost.ie)
  • otherLasota offered to pay another user €40-€50 to have sex with a child. (thejournal.ie)
  • otherThe purpose of meeting in the playground was for sex. (thejournal.ie)
  • otherA psychotherapist report found Lasota was of low risk of reoffending, which the court had difficulty accepting. (thejournal.ie)
  • otherLasota had no previous convictions. (thejournal.ie)
  • otherLasota was a self-employed accountant. (thejournal.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 10 Mar2025
    Sentencedthejournal.ie, its first report
    Accountant who sought out boys for sex jailed for six years as original sentence was 'unduly lenient'

    Reports the Court of Criminal Appeal's decision to increase the original Limerick Circuit Court sentence to six years, and the court's view that the second child's offence should have carried a separate sentence.

    convicted, Lasota, 45, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Lasotavictim, 15, male
  2. 10 Mar2025
    Sentencedlimerickpost.ie, its first report
    Appeal Court increases ‘too lenient’ sentence for man who sought out boys for sex

    Reports the Court of Criminal Appeal increasing the original sentence from two and a half years (final 18 months suspended) to six years, and gives details of the offences and the appeal judgment.

    convicted, Daniel Lasota, 45, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Daniel Lasotavictim, 15, male
  3. 27 Mar2024
    Sentencedlimerickleader.ie, follow-up
    Man seeking boys for his own sexual gratification is jailed in Limerick

    Reports the Limerick Circuit Criminal Court sentencing on 27 March 2024: two and a half years with the last 18 months suspended, sex offenders register for 10 years, and the aggravating and mitigating factors the judge weighed. The existing case covers the later Court of Appeal sentence increase for the same incident.

    convicted, Daniel Lasota, 44, male, Polish, named, non-irishDaniel Lasotavictim, 15, male
  4. 14 Feb2024
    Convictedlimerickleader.ie, first report
    Boy, 15, is ‘kidnapped’ at county Limerick playground, court hears

    Reports the guilty plea at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court, the boy's account of the kidnapping claim at a red light, the arrest five days later, and defence mitigation. Judgment adjourned to March.

    convicted, Daniel Lasota, 44, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Daniel Lasotavictim, 15, male