A CORSTON man who sexually abused children while working at a nursery in Bristol has received a 30-year sentence.
Nathan Bennett, 30, was convicted by a jury at Bristol Crown Court February of two counts of rape of a child under 13, four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, and two other sexual assault charges.
He had previously admitted 13 offences, including sexual assault of a child aged under 13, causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.
During sentencing at the court on March 16, statements prepared by some of the victims’ families were read out.
They told of feeling “distraught” upon learning their child had been sexually abused by Bennett and the “overwhelming anger” that they continue to experience. They also stated that they now struggled to trust anyone.
Bennett’s crimes came to light when concerns were raised by parents and other staff, leading his manager to review the nursery’s CCTV.
Specialist child protection police officers reviewed hundreds of hours of footage from 18 cameras, identifying multiple offences and five child victims.
The team then had to visit the children’s families and break the awful news of what had been happening.
Bennett was initially charged in August 2025 and had been remanded in custody ever since.
In mitigation, the court was told Bennett had no previous convictions and that he was sorry for the harm he understood he caused.
His Honour Judge William Hart described Bennett as a “dangerous paedophile”, adding that while some of the children may not remember the abuse they were subjected to, the families will never forget the “torment”.
Sentencing Bennett, he said: “Watching as we did in this trial, the CCTV footage of the little children at the nursery running around and playing brings a smile to any decent person.
“But the children we saw were not secure. They were at risk because, unknown to staff and parents, you were lurking and ready to abuse them and to pollute their innocence with your vile desires.”
Judge Hart handed Bennett a 30-year sentence, including a 24-year jail term, with the remaining six years to be served on licence. Bennett was also made subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
The investigating officer, DC Bethany Cook, said: “Nathan Bennett is a predatory paedophile who groomed children in order to commit vile sexual crimes on very young victims.
“By refusing to plead guilty and admit to carrying out the most serious sexual offences, he extended the trauma of those families by putting them through a trial.
“I hope that now that he has been handed a lengthy prison term, the victims and families will finally be able to rebuild their lives.”
Gemma Kneebone of the Crown Prosecution Service’s South West Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit said: “Nathan Bennett’s offending is amongst the most appalling and upsetting that I have seen in my time as a prosecutor of sexual offences.”
Support has been offered to the victims’ families, and officers have spoken with the parents and carers of other children who attended the same care setting as Bennett’s victims.
Corston child sex abuser sentenced
