A UK man who sexually abused children while working at an early childhood centre in Bristol has been jailed for 24 years.
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Nathan Bennett, 30, was tried and convicted by a jury in February on eight charges including two counts of rape, four counts of sexual assault, and two counts of assault by penetration, The Guardian reported.
He had previously pleaded guilty to 13 charges in relation to four victims.
Investigating officer DC Bethany Cook of Avon and Somerset Police said Bennett had groomed children in order to commit "vile sexual crimes".
"He has manipulated his way into a position of trust which has given him access to victims who are just toddlers."
Prosecutor Gemma Kneebone said his offending was "amongst the most appalling and upsetting that I have seen in my time as a prosecutor of sexual offences".
The crimes took place at the Partou King Street nursery. The victims, two- and three-year-old boys, were showered with affection before they were abused, sometimes in front of other children, the court was told.
One mother told the Bristol Crown Court she felt like she'd let her son down.
“The guilt and anger has been overwhelming. We sent him to this nursery we thought was a safe place. We hadn’t protected him. Something that is all you want to do as parents."
“What truly worries us is the future unknown. What will our son remember as he grows? What will happen when he begins to understand the significance of the abuse? How will it affect him? Will it impact his relationships, his mental health? We will not truly know the impact for many years.”
Another's father said he "felt dead inside", and that his wife had screamed and cried when he broke the news to her.
During sentencing, Judge William Hart described Bennett as a "dangerous pedophile".
“Watching as we did in this trial, the CCTV footage of the little children at the nursery running around and playing brings a smile to any decent person," he said.
“But the children we saw were not secure, they were at risk because unknown to staff and parents that you were lurking and ready to abuse them and to pollute their innocence with your vile desires.”
Hart imposed an extended determinate sentence of 30 years, with 24 of those to be served in custody and the remaining six "on licence". If he did not follow his licence conditions he could be recalled to prison to serve the full 30 years.
Bennett's crimes came to light after concerns were raised by parents and other staff, prompting his manager to check CCTV footage.
His offences were caught on camera, with the police called on February 26, 2025. He was initally charged last August and has remained in custody ever since.
A statement issued by the law firm Leigh Day said multiple concerns raised by parents in previous months about Bennett's behaviour were not properly followed up or escalated.
"Had appropriate action been taken sooner, we fear some of the abuse children suffered may have been prevented.”
A spokesperson for the Partou group, which the nursery is a part of, said it has taken a number of actions to strengthen safeguarding of children in its care.
“We have acted upon recommendations and as a result have increased training provided about safeguarding, strengthened policies, including with regard to recruitment and whistleblowing, increased the number of personnel in our leadership team who focus on safeguarding and introduced more internal and external auditing.
“We have also committed to expanding the use of CCTV across the Partou estate. We are in consultation with other sector stakeholders and government to support initiatives that strengthen safeguarding across the sector.”
Police said the case was "difficult and distressing" for everyone concerned.
“In the statements read today, a number of those families expressed feeling a sense of guilt for what had happened to their young children. Bennett, not them, is the person who deserves to feel guilt because it was him that knowingly subjected his victims to such sickening abuse," Cook said.
“I hope that now that he has been handed a lengthy prison term, the victims and families will finally be able to rebuild their lives.”
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