Nursery Worker Rapes, Abuses Kids: Dubbed ‘Every Parent’s Nightmare’

At 30, Nathan Bennett faces multiple convictions including child rape and sexual assault

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A childcare worker faces incarceration after being found guilty of multiple sexual offenses involving young children in his care.

Nathan Bennett, aged 30, was convicted on eight counts, including child rape, sexual assault, and assault by penetration. These crimes involved five toddlers aged two to three at the Partou King Street nursery in Bristol. He had earlier admitted to 13 additional charges concerning four of these five victims, who were all two years old at the time.

At the start of the trial, the prosecutor, Virginia Cornwall, presented concerns raised by parents and staff about Bennett’s behavior towards the children he supervised in February of the previous year. On February 26, nursery manager Victoria Tutton, also known as Vera, reviewed CCTV footage showing Bennett placing his hands down a child’s trousers. She immediately terminated his employment.

Following this incident, Avon and Somerset Police launched an investigation, which led to Bennett’s arrest and the eventual closure of the nursery. Ms. Cornwall described the situation as “every parent’s worst nightmare.”

Bennett began working at the nursery in July 2024 and told colleagues he was autistic, though it was noted during the trial that he has never been formally diagnosed with the condition. Staff observed that he frequently had children sit on his lap for extended periods, wore trousers with holes in the crotch area, and seemed overly possessive of certain toddlers and their parents, according to courtroom proceedings reported by Nottinghamshire Live.

Elizabeth Burton, a nursery practitioner, testified that Bennett showed a “jealous attachment” to five children and would “dominate” them.

During the trial, video interviews with two children involved in the case, identified only as Child A and Child E, were shown to the jury. The mother of Child E also testified, recounting how her son had demonstrated the abuse he endured at the nursery.

“I made him stop doing it. I asked him when it happened. He said it occurred at the nursery,” she explained. In his defense, Bennett claimed he was “emulating” what had been done to him as a child and denied any sexual attraction to children.

The jury found Bennett guilty of the following:

– Two counts of raping a child under 13.

– Four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13.

– Two counts of assault of a child under 13 by penetration.

He had previously admitted to 13 other charges, including:

– Eight counts of sexual assault of a child under 13.

– Four counts of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

– One count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

The families of the abused children are demanding answers on how Bennett was able to commit these crimes.

In a statement from the legal firm Leigh Day, representing several affected families, they expressed their devastation over the abuse suffered at the hands of someone they trusted to care for their children. “We are shocked, angry, and heartbroken. We demand answers. We need to understand how Nathan Bennett was allowed to work with young children, what checks were conducted, and how the safeguarding systems at Partou King Street nursery failed so disastrously.

“We hope that justice will be served through the criminal process, and that the broader issues surrounding safeguarding and protection at the nursery will be thoroughly reviewed to prevent such a tragedy from occurring again,” they stated.

Andrew Lord, a partner at Leigh Day who represents a broader group of families impacted by Bennett’s abuse, commented on the gravity of the case. “This is an utterly shocking situation involving very young, defenseless children. The seriousness of these offenses cannot be overstated. As lawyers specializing in abuse claims, we have significant experience supporting families through the aftermath of child sexual abuse, yet the concerns raised by the families about the safeguarding practices at Partou are profound. They feel that the systems that should have protected their children simply failed.”

Temporary Detective Inspector Lucy Ford, from Avon and Somerset Police, remarked, “Nathan Bennett was trusted to care for children but instead committed sexual offenses against very young children at his workplace. Conducting an investigation involving such young victims was deeply challenging and distressing for all involved.”