Man, 30, found guilty of sexually abusing five children at Bristol nursery

Nathan Bennett convicted of offences against children aged two and three in case described as ‘every parent’s nightmare’

A 30-year-old man has been found guilty of sexually abusing five children who were in his care at a nursery in Bristol.

Nathan Bennett won the trust of young boys at the Partou King Street nursery by showering them with affection, Bristol crown court heard. The prosecution said his behaviour showed “a certain level of predation” and described the case as “every parent’s nightmare”.

Bennett, of Corston, near Bath, was found guilty of eight offences including rape against children aged two and three. He had pleaded guilty to 13 other less serious charges in relation to four of the boys.

During the trial it emerged that parents had raised concerns on three occasions in the six months before Bennett was caught. They were worried that he was overly affectionate towards the children and used to kiss boys in his care on the cheeks.

He was finally stopped in February 2025 when a nursery manager saw Bennett on CCTV putting his hand down the trousers of a child. She sent him home and the police were called.

During the trial, one woman described the moment when her son told her he had been sexually abused, saying he had been hurt by a male nursery worker. She said: “I was horrified.”

She said her son was sad and quiet. “We said we wouldn’t let that happen again and gave him a big hug.”

The woman told the jury Bennett had given her son a book as a Christmas gift and told her he would like to babysit him at the family home. She said she once heard Bennett tell her son he loved him.

A police interview with the boy was played to the jury. As he pretended to cook a pizza and asked if he could do colouring, he told the interviewer he had not told anyone at the time of the abuse as he was worried about saying the wrong thing.

Bennett began working at the nursery in July 2024 as an early years practitioner. Virginia Cornwall, prosecuting, said his tactic was to make boys feel special and safe. “His system demonstrates a certain level of predation,” she said.

Asked in court if he wished to say anything to the parents of the children, Bennett said: “I never wanted to hurt anybody.”

The nursery is part of the Partou group, which was founded in the Netherlands.

In a statement, families of children who attended the nursery said: “We are devastated by the horrific abuse children have suffered at the hands of someone whom we all trusted to care for them. Nothing can begin to explain the shock, anger and heartbreak we feel – or the profound and lasting impact we are sure this will have on families.”

The statement, issued by the law firm Leigh Day, added: “The children were innocent and completely vulnerable; they were in a place that should have been safe. We want answers. We want to understand how someone like Nathan Bennett was able to work with young children, what checks were made, and how the safeguarding systems in place at Partou King Street nursery failed so catastrophically.”

A Partou spokesperson said: “We have been shocked and distressed by the upsetting details that have emerged over the past several days about Nathan Bennett’s appalling crimes.

“Our primary concern from the moment we became aware of the offences has been for the children involved and their families.

“We have robust safeguarding policies and practices in place at Partou, which have been followed throughout. In response to the incident, we commissioned an independent review to identify any vulnerabilities and we have further strengthened our approach to safeguarding all children in our care in line with the recommendations made.”