A nursery worker in the United Kingdom has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for committing multiple sexual offences against toddlers as young as two years old.
The offender, Nathan Bennett, 30, was last month found guilty of two counts of rape of a child under 13, four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, and two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 by penetration.
Prosecutor Virginia Cornwall described the case as “every parent’s nightmare.”
Bennett was ordered to serve at least 24 years in custody, followed by six years on licence after release.
The offences involved five boys aged between two and three and took place at Partou King Street Nursery.
Bennett, who is from Corston near Bath, began working at the nursery in July 2024. Concerns about his behaviour were first raised in February 2025 after complaints from parents and staff members.
His manager later reviewed CCTV footage, which showed Bennett behaving inappropriately with a child. He was immediately sent home and later arrested by Avon and Somerset Police. The nursery subsequently closed in December 2025.
During a four-day trial at Bristol Crown Court, staff members told jurors that Bennett frequently kept certain toddlers on his lap for extended periods and appeared “territorial” around them and their parents.
One nursery practitioner testified that he displayed a “jealous attachment” to five children and often attempted to “take control of them.”
A mother of one of the victims also told the court that her son later exhibited behaviour suggesting he had been abused at the nursery.
In addition to the eight charges for which he was convicted, Bennett had earlier pleaded guilty to 13 other offences involving four of the children.
While delivering the sentence, Judge William Hart described Bennett as an “incorrigible and dangerous paedophile,” stating that he placed his own sexual gratification above the welfare and innocence of the children.
Families affected by the case said concerns about Bennett’s behaviour had been raised months before his arrest, arguing that some of the abuse might have been prevented if earlier action had been taken.
ELIJAH ADEYEMI
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