Our live coverage has ended. If you want to read more, follow the link below:

• 'Evil' rapist sentenced to 30 years for toddler abuse

Investigating officer Det Con Bethany Cook, from Avon and Somerset Police, said after the sentencing hearing earlier: “Nathan Bennett is a predatory paedophile who groomed children in order to commit vile sexual crimes on very young victims.

“He has manipulated his way into a position of trust which has given him access to victims who are just toddlers.

“In the statements read today, a number of those families expressed feeling a sense of guilt for what had happened to their young children. Bennett, not them, is the person who deserves to feel guilt because it was him that knowingly subjected his victims to such sickening abuse.

“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.”

Judge William Hart described Nathan Bennett as an “incorrigible and dangerous paedophile” as he sentenced him at Bristol Crown Court.

“Watching, as we did in this trial, the closed circuit television footage of the little children at King Street Nursery running around and playing brings a smile to the face of any decent person and any parent… happy, innocent toddlers in a secure setting,” the judge said.

“But the children we see were not secure.

“They were at risk because unknown to staff and parents you were lurking ready to abuse them and to pollute their innocence with your own vile desires.

“Nathan Bennett, having presided over your trial and having heard and seen the evidence upon which you were convicted, I am unhesitatingly driven to the conclusion that you are an incorrigible and dangerous paedophile with an uncontrollable and ungovernable sexual interest in male toddlers.

“Not only the evidence against you, but your own evidence at trial and your presentation leads me to that conclusion.

“I find it impossible to predict for how long you will remain such a danger.”

The judge added: “The simple fact of the matter though is that you prioritised your own sexual satisfaction over the welfare of these little children and that was due to your grossly distorted thinking and a degree of, to use an old fashioned word, evil.”

Judge Hart also placed Bennett on the sex offenders’ register for life and made subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

In response to Anna’s complaints, a spokesperson for Partou said lone working falls under its safeguarding and whistleblowing policies, which define staff members’ oversight responsibilities over their colleagues.

They add that it is “not always possible” to ensure that every staff member is within sight of another colleague at all times, due to building layouts.

They confirm that Bennett was permanently suspended on 25 Febuary 2025 after CCTV footage of him putting his hand down a child’s trousers was reviewed.

“Following this, he had no further contact with children,” they say.

We've been hearing more from Anna - not her real name - who says she wants the nursery to be held accountable for what happened between 2024 and 2025.

She says she thought Bennett was “a bit weird” and “a bit creepy” because of how close he was to some of the children.

Anna adds that it made her “uncomfortable” and she was “absolutely certain that he had crossed a line”.

Anna reported her concerns to the nursery manager at the start of February 2025. She was told that the case would be raised to the regional manager and the Local Authority Designated Officer.

Anna also believes other parents complained about Bennett prior to his suspension and the subsequent criminal investigation.

We now know Bennett went on the abuse boys after Anna’s complaint.

Anna's child was at Partou's Kings Street nursery in Bristol while Nathan Bennett was working there.

Her child was not one of the five boys included in the court case against Bennett, but she had raised serious concerns before he was arrested and thinks he could have been stopped earlier.

Bennett's behaviour was "in plain sight and it went on too long," she added.

"He was a monster and a predator.

"He preyed on toddlers, and they [the nursery] didn't do enough to stop it.

"It's really shocking that he was allowed to be with children, on his own, for extended periods of time, repeatedly."

You can read Anna's full story here.

Speaking after the sentencing, senior crown prosecutor Gemma Kneebone said Bennett's offending was "amongst the most appalling and upsetting" she had seen.

"When we send our children to school or pre-school each day, we do so trusting that they will be cared for and kept safe," she said.

"To discover that a person to whom you had entrusted your child’s care could betray that trust in such a way is unimaginable, and our thoughts remain with all of those affected by these terrible crimes."

Sarah Turnnidge
BBC News, West of England

Leigh Day partner Andrew Lord, who is representing a wider group of families affected by Nathan Bennett’s abuse, said it was "one of the most deeply distressing cases any parent can imagine".

“The criminal proceedings have exposed not only Bennett’s appalling abuse, but also serious questions about safeguarding, supervision and the handling of concerns raised by parents and staff prior to his arrest," he said.

“Today’s sentence is an important step in holding Bennett accountable for his heinous crimes, but it does not address any wider issues that may have allowed him to continue working with very young children despite warning signs," he continued.

“We are continuing to investigate civil legal action on behalf of families who are seeking answers, accountability and assurances that safeguarding has drastically improved.”

Speaking outside Bristol Crown Court, Det Insp Lucy Ford from Avon and Somerset Police said Bennett was a "predatory paedophile" who had manipulated his way into a position of trust in the nursery.

“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 in which a substantial amount of distressing evidence was read out to the court and the jury," she added.

"I hope now Nathan Bennett has been handed a lengthy sentence, the families can continue to rebuild their lives."

Sarah Turnnidge
BBC News, West of England

Before handing down his sentence Judge Hart said there was a "significant risk" Bennett may commit further offences, adding that he had caused "serious psychological harm" to a number of people.

However he explained that due to the restrictions to be placed on Bennett, he will "never again be in such a position" to abuse children.

"You are a dangerous offender," he told Bennett.

Hart then ran through all 21 of the 23 charges against Bennett, listing the sentences they carried. These ranged from three years to nine-and-a-half years.

But it was the most serious charges - those of the rape of a child under 13 - in combination with all the other offences, that lead to the ultimate sentence of 30 years.

Some families who had children at the nursery who were not abused by Bennett said in a statement they were "devastated by the horrific abuse".

They said they want answers to how Bennett had been able to carry out his crimes.

The families are now being supported by law firm, Leigh Day.

A spokesperson for the firm said: "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 children were innocent and completely vulnerable; they were in a place that should have been safe."

They add that the families want to know what checks had been carried out by the nursery and how its safeguarding systems had "failed so catastrophically".

Bea Swallow
BBC News, West of England

Det Insp Lucy Forde has been a police officer for 20 years but said this case is "up there as one of the worst investigations I've taken part in".

“Bennett is a manipulative paedophile who has used his position of trust in nursery settings to offend against children," she said.

“He is aware that there are cameras in the nursery and its all being recorded, and he’s continued to offend. It’s horrendous."

Det Insp Forde acknowledged the "harm and upset" caused to families whose children have attended nurseries where Bennett was employed.

She said the force has opened a public portal where parents can log their concerns and speak to specially-trained officers from its child protection team.

Nathan Bennett has been sentenced to 30 years, with at least two-thirds of that to be served behind bars.

Six years of the sentence are to be served on licence.

Sarah Turnnidge
BBC News, West of England

While Judge Hart has explained how factors such as Bennett's lack of previous convictions and a suggested mental disorder or learning disability may be mitigating factors, he said Bennett's claims of his own undiagnosed autism are "no excuse".

“I do consider there's a proper basis to concluding that your lifetime experiences led to a developmental delay," Hart told Bennett.

Despite considering this, Hart said he had concluded Bennett "prioritised sexual satisfaction over the wellbeing of children", and described him as "evil".

Judge Hart has just recounted Bennett's crimes to the court in distressing detail, and has explained some of the technical details of how he is approaching sentencing

As the judge read out the charges Bennet kept looking down, rocking back and forth slightly.

The charges of rape against young children will form the basis of Bennett's sentence, Hart explained, as these are the most serious offences, but "no one should think for a moment" the other offences are not included within this, he said.

The fact that sexual activity took place in front of other children is a "clear aggravating factor", Hart said, adding: "The nature of your offending will leave an indelible fear in the minds of the parents."

Chloe Harcombe
BBC News, Bristol

His Honour Judge Hart is now directly addressing Bennett, who has his eyes fixed on the floor, as he hands down his sentencing remarks.

Describing Bennett as an "incorrigible and dangerous paedophile", Hart said the paedophile had been "lurking ready" to abuse children and "pollute their innocence with your own vile desires".

"Because sexual interest in such very young children is thankfully very uncommon I find it impossible to predict how long you will remain such a danger," he continued.

The judge highlighted the distress of the parents as well as the impact of Bennett's crimes on the children, and said one victim's recollection of what had happened to him six months on suggest "the abuse will live with him".

“Even if some of the children have no memory what happened, the parents will never forget," Hart said.

"The victim impact statements speak of their torment and how their lives have been contaminated by what you did."

The court has just heard from the mitigating barrister representing Bennett, who explained he had suffered a background of "neglect and abuse", and had been sent as a child to live with a man who had been sexually and emotionally abusive.

She added that Bennett had grown up "isolated", and asked the court to take this into account, but added that the crimes he had committed were "extremely serious" and there was a need to safeguard the public.