Man Gets 60 Years in Rapes, Robberies

Calling it “one of the most egregious cases” he has seen, a Ventura County judge on Wednesday sentenced a 22-year-old man to 60 years in prison for a string of violent rapes and robberies committed throughout Thousand Oaks two years ago.

Christopher Bass of Goleta admitted last year that he raped two teenage workers at a yogurt shop before robbing them. He held them at gunpoint while assaulting them, investigators said.

“This is the most disgraceful behavior this court has seen in its 22 years,” Ventura County Superior Court Judge Lawrence Storch said. “It’s appalling and outrageous, and it offends any sense of human dignity.”

Bass sat expressionless as Storch rejected defense attorney Richard Holly’s plea for a sentence of 35 years. A psychologist testified that Bass told him he was molested by an uncle as a 4-year-old.

But one of Bass’ rape victim’s tearfully asked the judge to impose a harsh sentence.

“I know he might have had problems as he was growing up,” she said. “But that’s no excuse--everybody has problems.”

Ventura County Deputy Dist. Atty. Maeve Fox called Bass evil and noted that one of the rapes was the victim’s first sexual experience.

“The most disgusting and vile part of it was that he did it for fun,” Fox said. “He liked it.”