30-Year-Old Nursery Employee Convicted of Rape and Sexual Abuse of Five Toddlers

Nathan Bennett, a 30-year-old nursery worker, has been convicted of sexually abusing and raping five toddlers, aged two and three, while employed at Partou King Street nursery in Bristol.

The conviction was handed down by the Bristol Crown Court, where Bennett faced eight counts which included rape, sexual assault, and penetration assault. He had also previously admitted to 13 other related offences involving the same establishment.

The court learned that the abuse transpired over the span of a year, affecting five young children. Bennett, residing in Corston, Bath, was apprehended in August of the previous year following a six-month investigation spearheaded by Avon and Somerset Police.

Jurors were presented with CCTV footage from within the nursery that evidently illustrated Bennett's misconduct. Both parents and staff had raised alarms regarding Bennett's behavior prior to the initiation of the investigation.

Prosecutor Virginia Cornwall characterized the case as “every parent’s nightmare.” She revealed that in February of last year, nursery manager Victoria Tutton had reviewed CCTV recordings revealing Bennett inappropriately touching a child, leading to his immediate dismissal from the nursery.

The investigation that followed culminated in Bennett's arrest and the temporary closure of the nursery in December.

Elizabeth Burton, a colleague at the nursery, testified in court that Bennett seemed to have an inappropriate attachment to a group of five children, asserting he would often exert control over them.

She noted, “He seemed to have a group of five children that he had a jealous attachment to. He would take control of them. His behavior would be over- affectionate; he would have them sit on his lap and kiss them on the face.”

Furthermore, the trial revealed that Bennett consistently wore the same pair of trousers to work, which his coworkers deemed unsuitable for the environment.

During the proceedings, jurors were shown video testimonies from two of the children, identified as Child A and Child E. The mother of Child E shared in court that her son had recounted the abuse he had endured.

“I managed to get him to stop and asked him when it happened, and he replied that it occurred at nursery,” she stated. Temporary Detective Inspector Lucy Ford described the investigation as profoundly challenging and distressing.

“Bennett was entrusted with the care of children but betrayed that trust by committing sexual offenses against the very young children at his place of work,” she stated. “An investigation involving such young victims was exceptionally challenging for everyone involved. I commend the strength shown by those families.”

Law firm Leigh Day, representing some of the impacted families, highlighted that the abuse has raised serious concerns about the nursery's safeguarding protocols.

In a formal statement, they expressed, “We are heartbroken by the horrifying abuse that children have faced at the hands of someone whom we all trusted to care for them. The shock and anger we feel, as well as the lasting repercussions on the families, cannot be put into words. Our children were innocent and utterly defenseless; they were in a place that should have guaranteed their safety. We are determined to seek clarity.”

They further demanded accountability regarding how Bennett was allowed to work with vulnerable children, including what background checks were conducted and how the safeguarding systems at Partou King Street nursery failed so drastically.

Andrew Lord, a partner at Leigh Day representing a broader group of families, deemed the case “utterly shocking,” noting that the gravity of the offences against defenseless children cannot be understated. Sentencing for Bennett is anticipated at a later date.