A nursery worker jailed for abusing children in his care has sent shockwaves through Bristol and beyond. Nathan Bennett, 30, received a 24-year prison sentence after being convicted of multiple counts of rape, sexual assault, and assault by penetration. The offences involved five boys, all between the ages of two and three, at the Partou King Street Nursery. Bennett had previously admitted thirteen other sexual offence charges against four of the same children.
Bennett was hired at the nursery in 2024 but was arrested less than a year later after CCTV footage captured him putting his hands down a child’s trousers. Prosecutor Virginia Cornwall described his actions in court as “every parent’s worst nightmare.” She added, “That a person entrusted to be responsible for your child, care for your child and nurture your child at times when you are unable to provide that parental care, abuses their position and sexually abuses that child.”
Staff recalled that Bennett would sit children on his lap for extended periods and acted “territorial” over certain toddlers. Court evidence also highlighted that he wore trousers with a hole in the crotch area. Video interviews with two victims, identified only as Child A and Child E, were played for the jury. Child E’s mother recounted how her son disclosed the abuse at the nursery, saying, “I got him to stop doing it. I asked him when that happened. He said it happened at nursery.”
Judge Hart, delivering the sentence, described Bennett as “evil” and an “incorrigible and dangerous paedophile.” The judge noted that Bennett claimed he was “emulating” his own childhood experiences and denied any sexual attraction to children. “You prioritised sexual satisfaction over the well-being of children,” the judge said as Bennett rocked back and forth in court. He added that, because sexual interest in very young children is fortunately rare, it is impossible to predict how long Bennett will remain a danger.
Even in cases where children may have no memory of the abuse, the judge stressed, the trauma for parents and families is lasting. Victim impact statements detailed the torment inflicted on the children and the way their lives have been forever altered. Families of children at the nursery who were not abused described their devastation at learning of the horrific offences.
Leigh Day, the law firm representing parents and guardians, said the events were “beyond explanation” and emphasized the profound and lasting impact on families. “The children were innocent and completely vulnerable; they were in a place that should have been safe,” the firm stated.
The case underscores the urgent need for rigorous safeguarding measures in childcare settings and leaves a lasting mark on the community that trusted Bennett with the care of their youngest members.
