UK Nursery Worker Jailed 18 Years for Child Sexual Abuse and Filming Offences

A nursery worker in north London has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after admitting to sexually assaulting young children in his care and filming the abuse. The case has shocked parents and renewed concerns about safeguarding in early years settings across the capital.

Vincent Chan, 45, pleaded guilty to a total of 56 offences relating to the abuse of four girls aged between two and four between 2022 and 2024. The charges included five counts of sexual assault by penetration and four counts of sexual assault by touching. He also admitted taking indecent images of the children and possessing thousands of indecent images found on electronic devices seized from his home.

The sentencing took place at Wood Green Crown Court in London. The judge described Chan’s actions as utterly wicked, perverse and depraved, telling him that he had chosen to betray the trust placed in him by parents and colleagues in the most despicable way. The court heard that the abuse occurred while Chan was employed at a nursery in north London, where families believed their children were safe.

Further charges related to Chan’s previous employment at a London primary school between 2007 and 2017. He admitted additional offences including taking indecent images and outraging public decency during that period. Investigators said the scale and duration of the offending highlighted serious safeguarding failures that are now under review.

The offences came to light in 2024 after a colleague reported concerns about Chan’s behaviour, including filming children who appeared distressed. That report led to a police investigation and a search of his home, where officers discovered footage of the abuse on his devices. Authorities also found covert recordings of children at the school, voyeuristic videos of strangers and a separate video showing Chan sexually assaulting a woman while she was asleep at his home.

During the hearing, a statement from the mother of one of the victims was read in court. She said her daughter had been harmed at a time when she should have been safe. Another statement on behalf of families whose children attended the nursery described the lasting emotional impact, saying the fear and sense of violation would not fade and that early childhood memories were now overshadowed by anxiety and doubt.

London’s Metropolitan Police said specialist officers continue to support the affected families. Detectives have urged any other potential victims or witnesses to come forward as part of ongoing safeguarding efforts. The case has prompted calls for stronger monitoring procedures and enhanced background checks within childcare and educational settings to ensure children are protected from harm.