A nursery worker in the United Kingdom, Nathan Bennett, 30, has been jailed for 24 years after being found guilty of raping and sexually abusing children in his care at the Partou King Street nursery in Bristol.
The court also imposed an extended licence period of six years.
Bennett preyed on two- and three-year-olds and was convicted of eight charges, including rape, sexual assault, and assault by penetration relating to five children.
He had previously pleaded guilty to 13 other offences, including sexual assault and engaging a child in sexual activity.
Concerns about Bennett’s behaviour were raised in February last year after staff observed him on CCTV putting his hands down a child’s trousers, leading to his arrest and the nursery’s closure.
Staff noted he often sat children on his lap for long periods, wore trousers with holes in the crotch, and appeared “territorial” over certain toddlers and their parents.
During the trial, video interviews with two children, Child A and Child E, were played. Child E’s mother said, “I got him to stop doing it. I asked him when did that happen. He said it happened at nursery.” Bennett claimed he was “emulating” abuse he suffered as a child and denied a sexual attraction to children.
The parents of the victims described the devastating impact on their families. Child E’s mother said, “It is difficult to truly comprehend the severity of the impact this defendant’s actions have had upon our family…What truly worries us is the future unknowns…We are determined only one life will be ruined and it will not be our son’s.”
Child B’s parents said, “We feel manipulated, betrayed and completely let down…Our son should have been safe. However, that feeling of safety has been snatched away from us and we have lost trust in humanity.” Child C’s parents added, “We blame ourselves because we let Nathan do those things and we could not keep our son safe…What we want is simple – that he never has access to children again.”
Defence lawyer Charly Pattison noted Bennett’s difficult upbringing, saying, “Mr Bennett’s life was very isolated and absent of the usual social interactions…He does understand the harm and hurt he has caused and he is sorry for that.”
Judge William Hart described Bennett as an “incorrigible and dangerous paedophile,” adding, “Not only the evidence against you, but your own evidence at trial and your presentation leads me to that conclusion…The simple fact of the matter though is that you prioritised your own sexual satisfaction over the welfare of these little children and that was due to your grossly distorted thinking and a degree of, to use an old fashioned word, evil.”
Bennett was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
Families continue to demand answers about how Bennett was able to abuse children despite warning signs. Andrew Lord, partner at law firm Leigh Day representing the families, said, “Today’s sentence is an important step in holding Bennett accountable for his heinous crimes, but it does not address any wider issues that may have allowed him to continue working with very young children despite warning signs…We are continuing to investigate civil legal action on behalf of families who are seeking answers, accountability and assurances that safeguarding has drastically improved.”
Avon and Somerset Detective Inspector Lucy Ford added, “Nathan Bennett is a predatory paedophile who grooms children in order to commit vile sexual crimes on very young victims.
He manipulated his way into a position of trust which has given him access to victims who are just toddlers.”
