For six months, she unknowingly placed her child into the care of a predatory paedophile.

Dismissing his awkwardness as a personality trait of a “man who was a bit weird”, she trusted Nathan Bennett as her two-year-old’s key worker; someone to nurture their development, while keeping them safe.

There were whispers at the gate of Partou King Street Nursery in Bristol that the 30-year-old early years practitioner was overstepping boundaries. The mother tried to be objective and placed her trust in Bennett and the nursery managers.

But then rumour turned to sickening reality when the scruffy-looking nursery worker was eventually found out. His crimes were put before a jury and he was jailed for 28 years for raping and abusing children in his care.

Shockingly, the first time the mother heard about it was not from the nursery managers but the local press, which in March last year reported that Bennett had been arrested after what nursery operators Partou described as an “isolated incident”.

Ofsted did not suspend the nursery provider’s registration until almost two weeks later, suggesting Partou had failed to share all relevant information initially. Last December, the nursery was shut for good.

“I felt absolutely disgusted,” the mother, who wants to remain anonymous, told The Independent. “He was my child’s key worker. On the day of his arrest I dropped my child off with him in the morning, then he was not there at pick-up.

“I didn’t think much of it at the time and no one told me anything – it was only when I read in the local press weeks later.”

Since Bennett’s conviction at Bristol Crown Court, Partou – which run more than 130 nurseries in the UK – said “strict reporting restrictions” meant they could not disclose information to parents.

It’s not the only criticism the nursery operator is facing.

During the criminal trial, the jury heard how manager Victoria Tutton sent Bennett home after seeing CCTV in which he put his hands down a child’s trousers.

But staff had earlier witnessed “strange behaviours” from the worker, who, the trial was told, would wear trousers which were full of holes, including the crotch area.

The mother also said she raised concerns over Bennett almost a month before his arrest.

She first saw him kiss a boy on the face as he spoke to her at pick-up. Then, in a second incident, she witnessed him hugging a boy excessively on his lap while touching his leg.

When she raised them with the nursery manager, she got told that he was suspended as a result. But despite the local authority – Bristol City Council – being notified, she was told he had returned to work a few days later.

She claimed she got told that the concerns “did not meet the threshold” for further action.

“I saw him again every time at drop-off and we just got on with it,” said the mother, who, although unaware of the extent of Bennett’s offending, began looking for a new nursery for her child.

Later, she attended parts of the trial where Bennett was found guilty of eight charges, including rape, sexual assault and assault by penetration, relating to five children.

Passing his sentence, Judge William Hart told Bennett that children in the nursery were at risk because of him “lurking, ready to abuse them and to pollute their innocence with your own vile desires”.

The harrowing case has not only impacted the victims and their families, but many others, including the mother, who said she felt anger as well as guilt.

“I should have taken my child out of the nursery, but I didn’t. I sat on it and trusted the nursery manager,” she said. “You lie there and think: what if I had said something to someone else?”

The emergence of Bennett’s crimes also led to difficult discussions between parents and children.

The mother said: “I asked my child [if they were abused] and they said ‘no’. It’s not a conversation I ever want to have with a child aged two – asking them if they saw and if they experienced it. And I worry if I will ever know the true answer.”

She is one of 12 families being represented by lawyers Leigh Day, which is considering launching a civil case against Partou, mainly over safeguarding.

Andrew Lord, from Leigh Day, said: “The criminal proceedings have exposed not only Bennett’s appalling abuse, but also serious questions about safeguarding, supervision and the handling of concerns raised by parents and staff prior to his arrest.”

In a statement, Partou told The Independent it had increased training on safeguarding, strengthened policies, including on recruitment and bolstered its leadership team. The use of CCTV has also been expanded across its sites.

It said: “Nathan Bennett’s offending came to light following a review of CCTV footage on 25th February 2025, on which date he was suspended and the police, LADO [Bristol City Council’s Local Authority Designated Officer] and Ofsted informed.

“A prior concern, raised by a parent in early February, was reported to the LADO. In the year since then we have worked with a number of individuals and organisations to consider any ways in which we could strengthen our safeguarding of the children in our care.”

A spokesperson for Bristol City Council said: “We were contacted by the manager of the Partou nursery in Bristol at the start of February 2025 for guidance about parental concerns.

“Advice was provided, based on information available to us at the time. The LADO does not make decisions about staff suspension as this responsibility remains with the employer. All LADO processes in relation to this nursery group have been robust, timely, and compliant with statutory requirements.”