'Utterly wicked' nursery abuser jailed for 18 years

An "utterly wicked" nursery worker who filmed himself sexually abusing young children in his care in north-west London has been jailed for 18 years.

Vincent Chan, 45, admitted 56 charges including sexual assault by penetration, possession of indecent images and voyeurism.

Judge John Dodd KC told Wood Green Crown Court that Chan was a "perverse and depraved" man who had "clearly lost all sense of moral compass". His offences spanned from 2008 to 2024 and his victims ranged in age from two to a woman in her 70s.

He filmed himself abusing young children at the Bright Horizons nursery in Finchley Road, West Hampstead, between 2007 and 2017.

Warning: This article contains distressing details

Chan, who was also sentenced to a further eight years on extended licence, confessed to spying on girls and women as they got undressed in their bedrooms and used the toilet, as well as sexually assaulting a woman as she slept.

He amassed a collection of at least 26,000 indecent images online, including clips of children being raped.

Judge Dodd said the mass of images and videos found by police clearly displayed Chan's "deep-seated sexual obsession" with children, adding that he had breached the trust of children and parents "in the most despicable of ways".

The Metropolitan Police also uncovered that Chan had taken upskirt videos of girls in class when he worked as a teaching assistant at a school in Finchley, north London.

In impact statements, young victims said they had been left devastated and were coping with lasting trauma after being told about the abuse.

Families said his offending at the nursery and school - labelled "every parent's worst nightmare" - had shattered their trust.

A woman covertly recorded said she felt "violated and humiliated" and was now paranoid about using the bathroom.

A woman who was sexually assaulted as she slept called Chan "a person who shows a total disregard for human dignity".

In a statement, Bright Horizons said: "This is a distressing time for families and all those impacted by Vincent Chan's horrific crimes and our thoughts are first and foremost with them.

"Keeping children safe is our most important responsibility. Vincent Chan broke that trust.

"His actions were depraved and devious and go against the kindness and care our dedicated professionals provide to children each day."

A dedicated NSPCC helpline - 0800 028 0828 - has been set up for anyone affected. It operates between 08:00 and 20:00 GMT, Monday to Friday, and 09:00 to 18:00 at weekends.