A UK nursery worker will be sentenced today for 56 counts of child sexual abuse — including the molestation of four girls aged just three and four — as the government rushes to consult on making CCTV mandatory in nurseries nationwide.
Vincent Chan, 45, admitted to filming himself abusing children during naptime at a Bright Horizons nursery in north London between 2022 and 2024.
He worked at the nursery for seven years before being suspended in 2024.
The Full Extent of the Offending
Chan’s crimes did not begin or end at the nursery.
Court records and police investigations reveal a disturbing pattern spanning nearly 15 years:
| Period | Location | Offences |
|---|---|---|
| 2007–2017 | North London school | Filmed up young girls’ skirts; filmed solo sexual acts on school premises |
| 2011–2025 | Various | Admitted sexual offences dating back to 2011 |
| 2022–2024 | Bright Horizons nursery | Molested 4 girls aged 3–4; filmed abuse during naptime |
| 2024–2025 | Post-employment | Took indecent pictures of children |
He also admitted to downloading thousands of indecent images of children.
Sentencing Today: What to Expect
Chan will be sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court in London later today.
He faces years in prison.
Detective Chief Inspector Lewis Basford of the London Met Police, who led the investigation, said:
“Vincent Chan is a dangerous and predatory individual, and the scale of his abhorrent offending is shocking.
Chan’s history demonstrates to us that he has sought out positions of trust involving contact with young girls, which allowed him to commit his crimes unchecked for so long.”
PM Keir Starmer: ‘Harrowing Cases’ — CCTV Consultation Underway
In parliament yesterday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer addressed the growing public outcry:
“They’re harrowing cases for everyone in this country. The safety of children is, of course, paramount, and we’re acting to keep them safe.”
The government is now consulting on whether to make CCTV mandatory in nurseries — a move campaigners say is long overdue.
Families: ‘Sickened’ — and Demanding Answers
After Chan pleaded guilty in January, the families of the victims released a joint statement:
“These further crimes raise deeply troubling questions about how safeguarding systems could have failed so badly that someone who was a prolific and persistent offender was able to secure employment as a nursery worker and offend without intervention for a number of years.”
50 families are now pursuing legal action against Bright Horizons, accusing the nursery provider of “brushing concerns aside.”
They are represented by law firm Leigh Day.
This Is Not an Isolated Case
Chan’s sentencing comes just days after another UK nursery worker, Nathan Bennett, was found guilty of multiple sexual offences against five boys aged two and three — including rape and sexual assault.
Bennett was caught only after the nursery manager saw him on CCTV slipping his hands into a child’s trousers.
She reported him immediately. He was arrested. The nursery closed.
Two nurseries. Two predators. Dozens of children. Years of abuse.
And in both cases, CCTV was the difference between ongoing abuse and arrest.
Today, Vincent Chan learns his fate.
But for the families, for the campaigners, and for a government now forced to act — the verdict is already in:
Safeguarding failed. It must never fail again.
