We are now hearing from the parents of Child C, who described their son as a "sunny child" and a "happy boy".

They said Bennett had "seemed clumsy but very paternal", which was something they initially liked, but they grew frustrated that Bennett had not provided updates on their child's day.

Child C became "obsessed" with Bennett, they explained, with their son becoming "a different person". Once they heard about the investigation into Bennett, they said they "burst into tears", adding: "We felt guilty for making our child suffer."

“Since we found out that our son was involved our emotions have changed. We were distraught at the start and now we are angry," they continued, and said they had been left "overly cautious" and struggling to trust again.

"The strain has been overwhelming," they said, adding: "We never wanted to live in fear or live constantly on edge."

“It's hard to put into words the pain of being told that this is happening to your child," said the father of Child B.

“I felt like I was dead inside… I completely shut down," he added.

In a prepared statement, Child B's mother said she had "screamed and cried" when she had heard of the abuse, adding: "I cried much more than when I lost my mum at 11 years old."

They added that the trauma of the case had led to the loss of a job, and in "desperate need of therapy" they could not afford to pay for.

"Our son should have been safe however that feeling has been snatched away from us," they added.

The court has just heard a powerful statement from the mother of Child E, who described him as a "hilarious, cheeky, happy little boy".

"He is trusting [...] this trust was manipulated and ultimately destroyed," by Bennett she added, describing how the moment Child E disclosed what had happened to him as "etched in my mind".

"The guilt and anger has been overwhelming, that we hadn’t protected him," she continued.

"What will our son remember as he grows and as he understands the impact of the abuse? We will not truly know the impact of Nathan’s actions for many years." she said.

Despite the lasting impact of the crimes against her son, Child E's mother added: "We remain determined that there will only be one life ruined by this case."

Cornwall told the court that Bennett had engaged in a "significant degree of planning" and was "calculated" when it came to his crimes.

She explained that the fact the offences took place in a nursery and in front of other children were aggravating factors the judge should take into account when sentencing.

The judge could jail Bennett for life for his offences. Even if he does not, it is expected he will be handed an extended sentence as a result of his conviction for rape of a child under 13.

Prosecuting barrister Virginia Cornwall has just told the court than Bennett presents a "significant ongoing risk", adding that the Crown Prosecution Service considers him "dangerous".

She is now going through the sentencing guidelines, explaining the seriousness of Bennett's offending against five children aged two and three.

In the case of Child A, Cornwall said, the victim was "groomed over time" to engage in sexual acts, and was "rewarded with physical proximity and closeness".

When Bennett was convicted, Judge William Hart warned him he would face a very long custodial sentence.

Speaking ahead of today's hearing, Det Insp Lucy Forde, from Avon and Somerset Police, said the investigation into Bennett's crimes has been "deeply challenging" and "distressing" for all concerned.

"This case has also caused significant anxiety for the other families whose children attended the nursery during the time these offences were committed."

She adds that anybody with children who'd been in contact with Bennett who have concerns can contact the force's child protection team online.

Ahead of the sentencing hearing, a spokesperson for Partou said the company was “shocked and distressed” by the details of the case.

"Nathan Bennett’s crimes are the worst imaginable, and we understand and share in families’ outrage and distress.

“Our priority throughout has been the welfare of the children directly involved and their families, for whom we have provided ongoing, independent support; as well as offering the investigating authorities every possible assistance,” they said.

They added the company’s safeguarding approach has been strengthened as a result of recommendations made following an independent review.

The courtroom has risen as Judge William Hart enters the room.

He begins sentencing by asking Nathan Bennett to confirm his name.

Chloe Harcombe
BBC News, Bristol

Nathan Bennett has entered the dock.

He is wearing a grey tracksuit and looking down while we wait for the judge.

Sentencing will begin shortly.

Bea Swallow
BBC News, West of England

The CCTV footage from the nursery only spanned back a month before it was overwritten.

Det Insp Forde fears this means only a fraction of Bennett's crimes can be proven.

“He’s worked in childcare and has had access to children for a number of years," she explained.

“My worry if there will be other victims that we haven’t been able to identify, that are too young to understand what’s happened to them."

Ford said four victims were identified through CCTV, and a fifth came forward after confiding in their parents what had happened.

Bea Swallow
BBC News, West of England

Warning: This post contains distressing details of child sex abuse.

Det Insp Lucy Forde from Avon and Somerset Police said the force was first informed of Bennett's offending in February after nursery staff raised concerns.

He had been captured on camera putting his hands down a child's nappy.

“What we’ve seen on CCTV was absolutely sickening. It’s him offending against children in the middle of the nursery, in sight of the other children," she said.

“There’s nothing that could prepare you for seeing that - the shock, the horror."

There are 18 cameras in the nursery, and detectives spent hundreds of hours analysing the footage to determine the extent of Bennett's crimes and the victims involved.

In the time that Bennett worked at the Partou King Street Nursery, he committed 24 offences against five boys aged between two and three years old.

• He started working at the nursery in July 2024
• In early February 2025, concerns were raised about his behaviour with children, specifically a group of five that the prosecution said he would “favour”
• The nursery referred the concerns to the council’s Local Authority Designated Officer, who deals with allegations against adults working with children
• Bennett was permanently suspended on 25 February 2025 after CCTV of him putting his hand down a boy’s trousers was reviewed
• Avon and Somerset Police arrested Bennett the following day and he was released on bail with conditions including not to be unsupervised with any person under 18
• Bennett was charged in August 2025

• Oftsed closed the nursery in December 2025
• Bennett admitted 13 sexual offences and went on trial for another 11 in February 2026
• He was convicted by a jury of two counts of rape, four counts of sexual assault and two counts of assault by penetration

Since Bennett's crimes were uncovered, the nursery said it has adopted a stronger safeguarding approach.

Throughout the trial, the jury watched video interviews of two children in the case, who were referred to as Child A and Child E.

Child E's mother also gave evidence and said her son had demonstrated how he had been abused at nursery.

Judge William Hart said the victims were the youngest children he'd dealt with in many years.

"Child E is probably the youngest child to have been a witness in a trial here, if not in the whole of the country," he added.

At the beginning of the trial, the jury heard that parents and staff members raised concerns about Bennett's behaviour towards certain children in his care.

Virgina Cornwall, prosecuting, said he "took opportunities that were either engineered or presented to him" to commit the string of sexual offences.

She added that Bennett would "favour" and build stronger relationships with some children who were "understandably trusting" of him.

Nursery staff also reported that he exhibited "strange behaviours" that included a lot of physical contact with children and "control" over the group of five that he had a "jealous attachment" with.

Cornwall had said: "The events that were to unfold... are, you may think, every parent's nightmare."

Bennett began working at the nursery in July 2024.

Avon and Somerset Police arrested him in February 2025 after the nursery manager reported seeing CCTV footage of Bennett putting his hands down a child's trousers.

The nursery closed in December 2025.

The 24 offences committed by Bennett took place in 2024 and 2025 against five boys aged between two and three years old.

The families of the children affected were notified at the time.

Image source, Avon and Somerset Police

We will be covering the sentencing of Nathan Bennett at Bristol Crown Court.

Last month the former employee at Partou King Street Nursery in Bristol was convicted by a jury of two counts of rape, four counts of sexual assault and two counts of assault by penetration.

Bennett, 30, from Corston near Bath, previously admitted 13 other sexual offence charges relating to four of the boys.

Avon and Somerset Police previously said the convicted paedophile would face "a very long" custodial sentence.

We'll bring you all the latest from the sentencing at Bristol Crown Court.

WARNING: This live page will contain material that some people may find distressing.