Lancaster predator gets prison time for street assaults on women
LANCASTER, PA – He ran up behind two strangers and assaulted them in broad daylight — now a 22-year-old Lancaster man will spend up to five years behind bars for the random gropings that left victims shaken and fearful to walk alone.
Jaime Perez, of the 400 block of High Street, was sentenced by Judge David Ashworth after pleading guilty on Dec. 22 to one count of aggravated indecent assault without consent and two counts of indecent assault without consent. The charges stem from two separate incidents in downtown Lancaster last fall, just weeks apart.
Prosecutors said surveillance footage from the Lancaster Safety Coalition showed Perez sprinting behind two women on East Orange and East Chestnut Streets, grabbing their breasts, buttocks — and in one case — forcing his hand onto the victim’s genitals. Both victims were unknown to him.
The first incident happened on East Orange Street, where Perez ran up and groped the victim without warning. A few days later, another woman endured a similar attack just blocks away on East Chestnut Street. Both assaults were captured on camera and used as evidence.
Assistant District Attorney Callista Chartier read a letter from one of the victims during sentencing, who described how the assault has deeply affected her daily life. She told the court she no longer feels safe walking alone and has struggled to trust others since the incident.
Perez offered a brief apology in court, admitting he “wasn’t thinking of the consequences” and expressing remorse for his actions.
Lancaster City Bureau of Police Officer Isaac Witmer filed the charges following the investigation. Perez was sentenced to serve two to five years in state prison.
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Key Points
- Jaime Perez sentenced to 2–5 years in prison for groping two women on Lancaster city streets
- Attacks were caught on surveillance and occurred weeks apart in fall 2024
- One victim said the assault left her fearful and changed how she navigates daily life