A “calculating and predatory” nursery worker filmed himself sexually assaulting a number of young children in his care.
Vincent Chan, 45, admitted assaulting four victims, the youngest of whom was just two, and possessing tens of thousands of indecent images.
Metropolitan Police detectives said their investigation into his crimes, which spanned several years, was still ongoing.
Some parents of victims said they were “still trying to process the disgusting discovery” that their children had been abused by the very people who were supposed to be caring for them.
Chen, 45, admitted all 26 charges against him at Wood Green Crown Court on Wednesday.
They included five counts of sexual assault of a child by penetration and four counts of sexual assault by touching.
He also admitted 11 counts of taking indecent photographs or fake photographs of children, and six counts of taking indecent photographs or fake photographs of children.
About 25 family members attended the court hearing, many visibly upset. Others listened remotely via video link.
Chan, wearing a gray tracksuit, only confirmed his name and pleaded guilty to each charge.
Chen’s criminal behavior lasted for several years
Chen started working at Bright Horizons nursery in north London in 2017, but it was not until May 2024 that concerns about his behavior were raised.
Staff are provided with iPads to take photos and videos to monitor children’s progress so that their parents can see how they are doing in the nursery.
An anonymous caller contacted local authorities and said Chen, who did not have any criminal history, had been using the devices to film children in his care and make “disturbing” and “humiliating” videos for his own entertainment.
He shared stills from the non-pornographic videos with colleagues.
On June 11, 2024, Chen, who is of Chinese descent but was born and raised in the UK, was arrested on suspicion of child abuse.
Detective Sergeant Lewis Basford, who is leading the investigation, said: “The investigation escalated dramatically when police seized 25 digital devices from Chen’s home, including hard drives, mobile phones, memory cards and computer terminals.
“Forensic analysis of the devices revealed deeply disturbing material.”
On September 5 this year, police discovered a “large amount” of indecent images and videos of children during a search of Chen’s devices, including evidence of physical sexual assaults on young children.
At least 25,000 photos of children
During the investigation, police seized 69 devices used by Chen, including an iPad for work.
They found videos on the devices of Chen abusing children at day care, sometimes while the children were asleep.
There are also at least 25,000 images of children, about 2,000 of which are category A, the most serious form of child abuse material.
On September 8, Chen was arrested again and charged with multiple child sex crimes.
He was suspended immediately after his first arrest. The Bright Horizon nursery branch where the abuse occurred has now been closed.
During his tenure, Chen was once promoted to “room chief”, but he voluntarily resigned from this position in order to continue working as a nurse.
Mr Basford said: “Child sexual abuse is one of the most horrific crimes imaginable and Chan’s offending spanned several years and revealed a carefully planned and predatory pattern of abuse.
“He infiltrated what was supposed to be a safe haven for children, exploiting the trust of families and the wider community to conceal his actions and prey on the most vulnerable.
“Our investigation remains ongoing and we will continue to review digital devices and assess Chen’s behavior in all relevant contexts.
“We recognize the staff who raised concerns because without the first report of child abuse, Chen’s abusive behavior could have continued unchecked, putting countless children at risk.”
‘We want answers’
Families of children known to have been directly abused by Chen are receiving specialist support.
The NSPCC also set up a dedicated helpline for hundreds of families whose children attended the nursery during his time there.
Leigh Day, the law firm representing the affected parents, said after the plea was made: “We feel Bright Horizons has let us down and we want answers.
“How did someone like Vincent Chan get hired? Why did the safeguarding system fail so completely? How could this horrific crime against children continue for so long if the staff responsible for safeguarding at Bright Horizons nursery failed to take action?
“We are concerned that management and oversight failures at Bright Horizons allowed this abuse to go undetected, and we are committed to ensuring that our children are held accountable.”
Alison Millar, head of the abuse team and partner at Leigh Day, called the case “absolutely shocking”.
She added: “The families we have been in contact with feel strongly that there have been significant failings in safeguarding at Bright Horizons Finchley Road Nursery. We look forward to the outcome of the review of local child protection practices but there are many questions that still need to be answered.”
‘Despicable abuse’
In a joint statement issued through Leigh Day, some of the parents of the affected children said Chen was targeting “innocent victims who are unable to fight back”.
They said: “As parents we are still trying to process the disgusting discovery that our children were subjected to vile abuse at the nursery by Vincent Chan.
“By pleading guilty to these charges, we will no longer have to hear a detailed account of Vincent Chan’s crimes at the nursery at trial.
“We believe the judge will impose the harshest sentence possible for Vincent Chen’s crimes against young children and innocent victims who were unable to resist.
“We would like to thank the Metropolitan Police for their assistance and support so far but would like to thank their investigation into this case which is not yet complete.”
Chen will be sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court on January 23.
Try full access to The Telegraph for free now. Unlock their award-winning website and essential news app, plus helpful tools and expert guidance on your money, health and holidays.
