Nathan Bennett

Nathan Bennett, a 30-year-old man from Corston, worked in a childcare setting in Bristol where he committed multiple sexual offences against five young children. The offences came to light following concerns raised by parents and staff, prompting his manager to review CCTV footage which revealed suspicious behaviour. Bennett was immediately sent home, and a report was made to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), who contacted Avon and Somerset Police on 26 February 2025.

Bennett was arrested and questioned on the same day, then released on bail with strict conditions prohibiting unsupervised contact with anyone under 18. A six-month investigation by specialist officers led to his initial charging with eight offences in August 2025, at which point he was remanded into custody by the court. He was subsequently charged with an additional 14 offences. Prior to trial, Bennett admitted to 13 of the charges, comprising eight counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, four counts of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and one count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

At Bristol Crown Court, a jury found Bennett guilty on 9 February 2026 of the remaining eight charges: two counts of sexual assault by penetration, two counts of rape of a child under 13, and four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13. During the trial, prosecutor Virginia Cornwall described the case as 'every parent’s worst nightmare', stating: 'The defendant is a paedophile. He has admitted his sexual interest in pre-school age toddlers … by his partial guilty pleas to some charges in this case – the less serious charges.' Investigating officer DC Bethany Cook remarked: 'Nathan Bennett was trusted to care for very young children, but instead committed sexual offences against them at his place of work.'

Bennett was remanded in custody following the conviction and scheduled for sentencing at Bristol Crown Court on 16 March 2026. The offences, all committed against children he met at his workplace, highlighted a severe breach of trust in a position of responsibility for pre-school aged toddlers.