‘Evil’ paedophile jailed for 24 years after abuse of five children at Bristol nursery

Judge describes Nathan Bennett as ‘incorrigible and dangerous’ over string of offences including rape

A “dangerous paedophile” who sexually abused five children in his care at a nursery in Bristol has been jailed for 24 years.

Judge Hart described Nathan Bennett as “evil” and said that he had thought seriously about imposing a life sentence because it was difficult to assess whether he would ever not be a risk to children.

Bennett, 30, an early years practitioner, won the trust of two- and three-year-old boys at the Partou King Street nursery by showering them with affection before abusing them, sometimes in front of other children.

Hart told Bennett the children should have been safe at the nursery. He said: “You were lurking, ready to abuse them and pollute their innocence with your vile desires. You are an incorrigible and dangerous paedophile.”

The judge said the children’s “extreme youth” mean they could hardly have been more vulnerable and described the circumstances of the case were “highly uncommon”.

Hart said: “You prioritised your sexual satisfaction over the welfare of these little children. That was due to grossly distorted thinking and a degree of, to use perhaps an old fashioned word, evil.”

He noted that parents of other children at the nursery who had not been identified as victims would fear their loved ones had also been abused or had witnessed Bennett’s attacks.

The judge imposed an extended determinate sentence of 30 years, comprising 24 years custody and six years extended licence. He told Bennett that if, once he was released, he did not follow the terms of his licence he would be recalled to prison and serve the full 30 years.

The mother of one of the children told Bristol crown court her son trusted Bennett to care for him but was manipulated.

She said: “The guilt and anger has been overwhelming. We sent him to this nursery we thought was a safe place. We hadn’t protected him. Something that is all you want to do as parents.

“What truly worries us is the future unknown. What will our son remember as he grows? What will happen when he begins to understand the significance of the abuse? How will it affect him? Will it impact his relationships, his mental health? We will not truly know the impact for many years.”

A father told of how he “felt dead inside” when he heard his son had been abused. When he broke the news to his wife she screamed and cried. Her son heard her and asked: “What is wrong with Mummy?”

Bennett, of Corston, near Bath, was found guilty by a jury of eight offences including rape. He had pleaded guilty to 13 other charges in relation to four of the boys.

During his trial it emerged that parents had raised concerns about him in the six months before Bennett was caught.

He was finally stopped in February 2025 when a nursery manager saw Bennett on CCTV putting his hand down the trousers of a child.

In a statement issued by the law firm Leigh Day, 12 families whose children attended the nursery said the sentence did not begin to repair the harm caused to so many children.

They said: “Over the months before Bennett’s arrest, a number of parents raised concerns about his behaviour. We know concerns were raised to members of staff – we believe those warnings and complaints were not properly followed up or escalated. Had appropriate action been taken sooner, we fear some of the abuse children suffered may have been prevented.”

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

A Partou spokesperson said: “In the year since these offences first came to light, we have worked with a number of individuals and organisations to consider any ways in which we could strengthen our safeguarding of the children in our care.

“We have acted upon recommendations and as a result have increased training provided about safeguarding, strengthened policies, including with regard to recruitment and whistleblowing, increased the number of personnel in our leadership team who focus on safeguarding and introduced more internal and external auditing.

“We have also committed to expanding the use of CCTV across the Partou estate. We are in consultation with other sector stakeholders and government to support initiatives that strengthen safeguarding across the sector.”