A man working at a nursery faced allegations of sexually abusing five toddlers, claiming that he inserted his hand into a child’s pants to check a diaper. Nathan Bennett, 30, was taken into custody by authorities after his supervisor observed the troubling incident on surveillance footage at the nursery where he was employed.

Following the incident, Bennett was sent home immediately, and his supervisor reported the matter to the police and local authorities, as disclosed in the Bristol Crown Court. The CCTV recording displayed Bennett, residing in Corston, Bath, with his hand inside a child’s pants for approximately 25 seconds.

During questioning by investigators after his arrest, Bennett explained that he placed Child A on his lap to console him as he was upset after waking up from a nap. He justified putting his hand inside the child’s pants by stating that the child complained of discomfort from the diaper.

Bennett refuted 11 charges at the nursery, including rape, sexual assault, and assault by penetration, but admitted guilt to 13 other charges involving five children aged two or three. He claimed that he couldn’t check the child’s diaper from the outside due to difficulties unrolling it, and denied any intentional contact with the child’s private parts.

The jury was informed that the nursery ceased operations following the initiation of a police inquiry. Bennett denied any sexual interest in children and rejected any insinuation of joining the nursery to have inappropriate interactions with children.

The trial is ongoing.