00:00A Bristol nursery worker has been jailed for 24 years after sexually abusing young children in his care.
00:07Nathan Bennett, 30, preyed on toddlers at Partoo King Street Nursery,
00:12leading to an investigation, the closure of the nursery and life-changing consequences for families.
00:17He was found guilty of multiple charges, including rape and sexual assault, with a further six-year extended licence.
00:25By refusing to plead guilty and admit to carrying out the most serious sexual offences,
00:30he extended the trauma of those families by putting them through a trial,
00:35in which a substantial amount of distressing evidence was read out to the court and the jury.
00:41I hope that now Bennett has been handed a lengthy 30-year sentence.
00:46The victims and their families will finally be able to rebuild their lives.
00:51The offences came to light after staff noticed concerning behaviour.
00:54CCTV captured Bennett putting his hands down a child's trousers,
00:58and staff had observed him sitting children on his lap for extended periods
01:02and wearing trousers with holes in the crotch.
01:05Families have spoken publicly about the impact.
01:08One mother described feeling guilt and anger, saying the future effects on her child remain unknown.
01:14Others said their trust in institutions and humanity has been shattered.
01:19Nathan Bennett's offending is amongst the most appalling and upsetting that I have ever seen in my time as a
01:24prosecutor of sexual offences.
01:27When we send our children to school or to preschool or to nursery each day,
01:32we do so trusting that they will be cared for and kept safe.
01:36Bennett took advantage of that trust, seeking out a profession that gave him access to the most vulnerable of victims.
01:42He exploited his position and the trust that came with it by repeatedly abusing young children,
01:48whilst grooming them to believe that his sickening behaviour was normal.
01:52To discover that a person to whom you had entrusted your child's care could betray that trust in such a
01:58way is unimaginable,
01:59and our thoughts will remain with those affected by these terrible crimes.
02:03The law firm Lee Day, representing several families, criticised the nursery for failing to follow up on earlier concerns,
02:11and called for improved safeguarding measures.
02:14Over the months before Bennett's arrest, a number of parents raised concerns about his behaviour.
02:20We know concerns were raised to members of staff.
02:22We believe those warnings and complaints were not properly followed or escalated.
02:28Had appropriate action been taken sooner, we fear some of the abuse children suffered may have been prevented.
02:36Nothing can undo what has happened.
02:39Bennett had previously admitted 13 other charges relating to four of the five victims,
02:44while the jury found him guilty of eight further offences.
02:47He'll remain on the sex offender's register for life and is subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
02:53The sentence includes an extended licence period of six years, reflecting ongoing risk.
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